Sharpness of Strength
by Wordgawk
Summary: Nero faces his most difficult challenge when Kyrie is afflicted with something he must slay.
1. Meet and Greets

Author's note: This story was created from some very old and discarded random ideas I jotted down on paper. Forgotten but not destroyed, I wondered if I could ever use those scribblings for a story. Enter Devil May Cry 4, some thinking, the threat of those papered ideas heading in the direction of the shredder --which really would have sucked-- and at last... liiiiife! Stoked can't truly describe how awesome it is to use ideas long thought impossible! Ideas, of course, which are based off characters and settings which don't belong to me but Capcom.

Fic takes place post-DMC4. Feedback is most heartily appreciated.

* * *

Sharpness of Strength

"Nero, um, Nero, can you help out?" A perky little girl with a coiled bun in her hair stared up at said man's working form.

"Yes?" Fortuna was a blaze of sun and more sun today. Nero tiredly set down a stack of wood loaded in his arms. He didn't like to work in public without his glove over his Devil Bringer arm, but this afternoon yielded a ton of extra work. Wearing the glove felt restrained. He needed the extra power of his arm, even if it meant scaring the occasional bystander or two who happened to stare at it uncomfortably. Remarkably, the small lady speaking to him seemed unfazed by it, in fact, glancing at it with interest and not fear.

"I was asked to ask you if you can move the barrel over there? It was too heavy for me when I tried." She pointed to a knee high barrel a few feet away in the middle of a mess.

"Sure thing, peach pie." The endearment floated out of Nero's mouth before he realized what he said. He didn't typically say those things to strangers. Oops, he was getting hungry. Meanwhile, the child giggled and waved at him before running off.

Restoring Fortuna after the hectic battles from the monstrous Savior and other weird beings from the Hell Gates was trekking along. People banded together to rebuild structures, shops, even monuments.

As Nero toted the hefty barrel to the edge of the construction mound it was in the way of, he heard his name called. He set the barrel down and turned to see Kyrie holding a bottle of water. Instead of her usual white long dress with the Order emblem, she donned a short-sleeved buttoned shirt and a long skirt, appropriate for the baking weather. Her killer laced boots were apt for not accidentally stepping on a stray nail. Nero smiled at seeing her neck, at the gold necklace he had given her. Inadvertently, his gaze strayed farther down to her shapely bosom but with her watching him his stare kept to a minimum and it flew back up.

He went to her and she mutely held up the drink. Grateful for a thirst-quencher, Nero thanked her and greedily gulped. Today was pretty warm. His coat had to be taken off almost as soon as he began work; the heat of the sun really beat down.

"Is it break yet?" the chestnut-haired woman asked after he returned the bottle, looking hopeful.

"Totally. I'm done for the day." Even for a part demon like himself, some fatigue was setting in his bones. Nero rotated a crick in his left shoulder. How much lifting did he do today? He didn't want to remember.

Kyrie quirked a playful brow at the movement. "May I assist in relaxation with a shoulder rub?"

How could Nero turn that amazing offer down? "Lifesaver!"

They found a cozy bench --ok, it was practically nailed planks of wood-- and sat. Kyrie kneaded her finger magic into his tired muscles. Nero jerked when she began, accidentally pressing too hard. Then she got going... ooh, Nero wasn't going to complain. His neck muscles were already loosening.

"Hey lovebirds, am I interrupting?"

Nero glanced up in surprise to find Dante in front of them, a cocky grin and a heavy black case slung on his back. Kyrie politely said hello and Nero did the same. The receiver of the massage added jokingly, "What's your excuse for coming here?"

Dante played along. "The fabulous cuisine."

The silver-haired hunter reminded Nero of his forgotten appetite. The massage felt amazing enough to put aside hunger for a moment. "Oh man, I'm starving."

"Actually, there was another reason."

"Hmm?"

"I also came for you." A lopsided grin tugged the corner of Dante's mouth.

Taken aback, Nero's eyebrows shot up near his hairline. "Huh?"

"You heard me." Dante crouched down to eye level and tipped up the chin of the relaxed man with a pointer finger. "I couldn't resist setting my feet in Fortuna to see you again." His tone radiated huskiness.

Nero frowned in awkward confusion and his back stiffened. The heck?!

Kyrie, hearing Dante's confession, possessively looped her arms around Nero's neck from behind, effectively forcing Dante to remove his finger from beneath the other man's chin. "Hey, no trading." She sounded mistrustful.

"Oh, but I simply can't resist him. Just look at him." His eyes roamed Nero's sitting figure. Was Dante checking him out? This behavior was wholly not his style. Or maybe it was; Nero didn't know Dante that intimately. The Fortuna resident _did_ attempt to kill him for a while after he assassinated Sanctus.

"I do. Everyday. Right, _darling_?" Kyrie squeezed her arms slightly for emphasis.

Was Nero in a soap opera? Multiple people pining for his affections? Possible murder if he said yes and no to the wrong people? And there was a guy to boot! When had Dante developed, er, romantic feelings for him? Did Nero feel flattered? "Uh, yeah, absolutely," he muttered, unsure.

Dante rose and kept staring at him with a half-lidded dreaminess that bordered on lust. He continued to watch while Nero just sat there in discomfort with the real love of his life draped over him.

They were awaiting a sign of life from the monkey-in-the-middle and Nero cleared his throat nervously. "Dante, that's, uh, nice of you to tell me. I didn't think you were- I mean, those girls you told me you worked with, you..." Damn, now he was sputtering. Confusion was running in circles around Nero like a hyperactive, screaming kid. Stupid Dante!

Kyrie jostled her significant other. "Nero, being with him is wrong. I'm already with you." Her heated breath was swiftly next to his ear. "You like me, don't you?" Throatiness lowered her question, sparking a trill down his spine and shooting blood to various parts of his body he'd rather not think of. When did his pants suddenly become so tight?

Dante seemed offended. "I'm offering my heart to you, Nero. Don't toss it away like it's nothing."

The baffled male was stunned. Dante called Nero by name. He never did that.

Kyrie swam in Nero's peripheral vision. "You and I. We're the ones meant to be together."

Fantastic, what was Nero going to do? He wasn't sleepwalking in some drug-induced hallucination, was he?

His friend --or potential lover, Nero strangely entertained the thought for a microsecond-- burst out in wild laughter. Dante clutched his stomach and pointed at him. "Oh man, I need a mirror! Your face is twisting in unimaginable ways!"

Burning red with embarrassment and feeling very weird, Nero would've lodged a bullet in Dante's forehead were the seated man, well, not seated. His revolver couldn't be reached with Kyrie's curvy body pressed against his back. So instead, Nero glared deadly daggers at his unfunny comrade. If only those proverbial daggers were real. "Yuck it up. You're the only one who thinks you're a comedian."

A discreet female titter sounded. Nero glanced miserably over his shoulder. "Aw, not you, Kyrie!"

"I can't help it. You did go through some adorable thought processes there." The brunette kissed Nero on the cheek. He felt a goofy grin form. Ok, that made this peculiar conversation with Dante a mite better. Nero aimed a kick at Dante, anyway.

The man in red finally quit snickering when he dodged Nero's boot. "That was a good laugh."

Nero groaned, but perked up when Kyrie resumed her massage. "But really, why the drop-in?"

Dante smiled, sincerely now. "Honestly, I'm here to see how Fortuna is coming along. The Savior wrecked a lot of the town. I did assist you in saving this place. Dropping by seemed appropriate."

Nero appreciated his visit, though, he'd never tell Dante even if he was a certifiable grade-A dork. "Cool."

"Shall we eat?" Kyrie suggested. Her hands moved off Nero's shoulders, to his knowing disappointment that she had to stop tending.

Nero agreed. "Yeah, you haven't dined in Fortuna yet. Naturally, I will poison your meal after that stunt of yours." He and Dante shared haughty looks, all in good jest, of course. He hopped up from his position and regally held out a hand for Kyrie to take to stand. The fact he was using his demonic arm didn't register. He was comfortable enough showing it around her compared to flashing it to strangers. She smiled and accepted it.

She rose and suddenly cried out. Clutching her chest, Kyrie moaned. She would have fallen if Nero's quick arms didn't wind around her waist to support her.

"...get it." Her mumble was hardly a whisper.

"Kyrie? What's wrong-" Alarmed, Nero began to question her, but halted when Kyrie raised her eyes to his face. The pretty brown orbs that normally shone in friendliness flashed gold. The odd color remained behind briefly, like the ghost image on a TV right after it has been turned off. Auburn eyes were staring back at Nero again. Kyrie leaned heavily against Nero's chest.

Tilting his head curiously and in concern, Dante quipped, "I take it that's not normal for Fortuna citizens?"

"Definitely not." Nero shook his head. He tapped lightly on his dear girl's cheek. "Hey, are you all right?"

Her breath sounded labored and her eyes were closed. "Pain. It's getting a little better."

Nero didn't like the sound of her admission one iota. He looked apologetically at their visitor as he balanced Kyrie the best he could against his hip. She was beginning to slide south. "You don't mind coming along with us for a doctor's visit, do you?"

A quirky grin grew on Dante's face. "Nope, I don't mind. I rarely see them enough as is. It's sort of an interesting fixation. Y'know, demon advantage of immunity and all." He flexed his arm.

"Thanks." Nero hoisted the slumping Kyrie in his arms and hurried to the residential area.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was probably half an hour that passed as the local doctor checked on Kyrie, but with the way Nero was whirling endless possibilities in his mind the wait felt like a day. He and Dante were killing time outside the medical tent that was setup for the workers. Nero paced like a ferocious tiger impatiently trapped in its cage. Dante even had to ask him to settle down which Nero ignored.

The doctor, an older fellow with a gruff voice and a curt disposition finally pushed back the opening flaps and approached them. He examined the men with a squint-eyed appraisal. "The lady is fine physically for the time being. She had another incident. You'll need a specialized person for this."

Nero glared at the useless moron. "You can't figure out what's wrong with her? Are you really a doctor?"

Dante smirked at Nero's insubordinate questions. The doctor cleared his throat and condescendingly spoke at Nero as though he was explaining his diagnosis to a very naive person. "I deal with human ailments, sir. Body and mind of human beings. Not rabbits, not dogs, and not chickens. By specialized, I meant someone who is versed in the _supernatural_."

As Nero digested this information, the doctor informed him that the currently defunct Order used to have such doctors who researched the paranormal in strange illnesses. It was merely a rumor that passed his ears and he wasn't sure there was any truth. One of the supposed doctors had a vast knowledge who could possibly be useful. Kyrie's doctor couldn't give an exact name for he didn't know himself. He looked at Nero in consolation and left.

The two men entered the tent. Kyrie lay on a cot, a weak smile forming when she saw them. Nero sat at the edge of the makeshift bed and took her hand. "Feeling better?"

She nodded wanly. "The worst of the fit has passed. I'm sorry to have interrupted our meal. We were going to show you around." She directed the last part to Dante.

He held up his palms face-up. "No worries. Interruptions are daily occurrences for me."

Nero watched Kyrie. She was still smiling despite being holed up in here. She was either faking happiness or trying to make him feel better. Or both. "Has this weird stuff happened before today?"

He expected the denial at this type of question but when Kyrie wouldn't meet his gaze and looked at the far wall instead, Nero's fingers unconsciously tightened his grip on her hand. "Kyrie?" Uttering her name sounded low and dangerous, even to his own ears. Like he dared her to defy his assumption that this seizure was the first of its kind before today.

"Two days ago." Her reply was quiet. She looked apologetically at Nero. "It wasn't much. I thought... maybe it was something I ate. Or I twisted something while helping out with construction. I have been awfully busy."

He was about to demand why she didn't tell him, but common sense stopped him. There could be loads of reasons which weren't important now. "You were okay after the first attack?"

Kyrie nodded again.

Something she had said before bothered Nero. "What did you mean by 'getting it'?"

"When did I say that?" Kyrie looked puzzled.

She didn't remember? Was this some sort of amnesia? Was she really ok? "You told us those words."

She contemplated silently, brows furrowed. "I don't recall. Sorry."

Raising his head to meet Dante's eyes, Nero mused, "I should check out this doctor who has the info we need. Can you stay with her until I get back?"

Kyrie jiggled her hand which Nero held. "I'm okay, really." She obviously was not.

Nero released her hand to let her demonstrate. "Can you sit up?"

Staring at the ceiling, Kyrie concentrated to push herself up, but confusion crossed her forehead in a wrinkle when her limbs wouldn't respond. She chuckled embarrassingly. "Um, give me a minute."

Dante and Nero exchanged silent affirmations and switched positions while Kyrie sighed. Nero told his farewell and left. He had to pick up a few choice items in his newly improvised room before he went. He had setup a temporary workstation to save traveling time to retrieve his belongings when he helped around town.

One long navy coat, his Blue Rose double-barreled revolver in his holster, and a sharpened Red Queen blade affixed to his back later, Nero strode to his next destination. His long coattails trailed behind him like hell's fire. He wanted answers and if it meant going to a dilapidated place he hated, he'd do it. For her.

Fortuna castle.


	2. Revelations

Author's note: Away we go to the second chapter! Hang on to your seats 'cause it's gonna get rocky.

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Chapter 2

Nero sped to where the strange scientist's Agnus' lab had been. Someone there must know how to find out what was wrong with Kyrie. Agnus had been obsessive about his Devil Bringer and kept meticulous notes on it. Nero had seen the psycho scrawling in his notepad. There must be something left over for Nero to see. There had to be.

Rumors had spread about Fortuna castle after Nero's time here and it became a tourist attraction of sorts. It was considered sacred ground, from what Kyrie had told him from hearing townsfolk gossiping. People were continually coming and going. When the entrance came into view for Nero, he saw nobody. That is, nobody civilian except for a formidable looking guard at the entrance doors. Probably hired to shoo away onlookers.

Nero's arm sling which he had earlier pocketed was pulled out and he slid it over his demonic arm before approaching the guard taking watch.

"Hi," Nero greeted cordially.

"This area is off limits," came the automated reply the guy must have said to many people. "Leave now."

"I'm not visiting. I have business inside. May I enter?" With a diplomatic smile, Nero thought it added authenticity to his request.

"No loitering," the guard sharply warned.

"If I go inside, I'm not loitering," Nero replied in his business voice. He received a pointing finger aimed at the way he came.

The man appeared strong and resilient to mow any intruders down, especially wearing such a crisp and official uniform.

...until Nero produced Red Queen and gave some sharp bladed persuasion to his gullet, Nero's professional act done. The man's mouth, so rigid and firmly shut mere seconds ago, now kept opening and closing, timid insults coming out more for effect than scares. Nero made his real request: entrance into Agnus' old lab. Impatiently, he patted the guard's cheek with the flat of his blade, prompting his new friend to speed-babble something about information storage.

"So where did Agnus store those informative notes of his, huh?" Nero lightly tapped the sharpened blade on the guard's face once more.

"Those notes are gone," the trembling man answered. "It's too bad because he did have very admirable writing. B-but Agnus did refer to another source which held information. He wouldn't write about it. That's what I heard, anyway! Maybe he did, but like I said, the notes have been destroyed. I-I mean, they're taken away but likely destroyed."

Nero couldn't understand half of what the guy yammered about but he did hear a coherent confession about knowledge of the Savior. "What are you going on about? What's this source?"

"The specialist I just said. That's the source."

"Where is he?" Nero probed, pushing slightly the blade edge of Red Queen under the nervous guard's chin. "This person who is supposed to have infinite wisdom about the Savior."

A loud gulp bobbed down the guard's throat. "Y-you mean the homunculus?"

Was this guy babbling again? Nero kept his offensive advantage and kept his blade against the guard's noticeably sweaty throat. "Yeah, that's right. Does it have a name?"

"No. I-I haven't spoken to him personally. Or it. Maybe it's a-a she." The guard raised his shaky fingers to point at the sharp sword. "Can you put that down? I can't breathe properly."

Nero smirked. "Well, then, tell me where I can locate this information booth and you can have all the air you want."

"I need to give you the key. T-there's a key, you see. For access. So if you would just..." The guard gestured emphatically again at Nero's weapon.

The Red Queen eased from his neck, but remained held at the ready. "Enlighten me."

The guard shakily patted his pants pockets and stuck his hands inside a back pocket. He withdrew a flat metallic block the size of a business card. It resembled a technologically advanced card with encryption and the like, but when Nero flipped it over the back was blank. The only design on it was a circular inlay with an intricate branched design. He made out the Order's emblem.

"Prick your thumb and press your blood on the mark." The guard stood taller, at ease since his esophagus wasn't in peril of being sliced.

"Why not you?" Nero didn't enjoy the prospect of bloodletting for any reason.

"Only the person who wishes to see the source needs to use blood."

Warily, Nero did as instructed, nicking his thumb with Red Queen. He eyed the drops of blood staining his skin, then the device. If he unleashed some hell beast or caused the world to implode, he was screwed. Still, what other leads did he have? He needed the knowledge and running around blindly was dumb and a major waste of time. He smeared his dark blood on the inlay. The crimson liquid absorbed into the engraved lines.

Nero looked around and saw his surroundings fill with a dreamlike cloudiness. He hastily removed the sling off his shoulder and stuffed it in his coat pocket. Here was the situation where his Devil Bringer would not be regarded as a freak show.

When everything around him was eaten up by white, he held out a hand to make sure his appendages were still attached to himself. No fingers were floating away. Yep. That was a good sign.

But where the hell was he?

------------------------------------------------------------------------

"You worried?" Dante studied Nero's main squeeze who had regained enough energy to sit up in the cot she lay on. He occupied a chair beside her bed.

Kyrie didn't reply. She didn't have to. The uneasiness in her dark eyes was proof enough.

"The ki- Nero will come back." Dante patted her shoulder in assurance. For once when doing this to a woman, the gesture was not a come-on.

"Do you see my kind of problem in your line of work? Demons can be mysterious." Dante had informed her of his demon hunting business and Kyrie seemed curious.

"Not too often. Whenever I have, I've dealt with it. With help, usually. It's funner that way."

"You have help? Is it a family business?"

Dante almost laughed outrageously at the absurdness of her idea, but then remembered she knew virtually nothing about his occupation. "No. I have partners."

"Not family, that's too bad." Kyrie dropped her vision to her lap at her folded hands. She offhandedly chuckled as though recalling a memory. "When I was very small I used to sit in the sermons to honor Sparda- I mean, your father." She blushed shyly. Accustoming meeting a real descendant of a regaled demon who had died so many centuries ago was not an instantaneous process. "I didn't understand many of the things His Holiness said. When I grew bored I tried to see if any other children around me were, too. I'd catch at least one."

"Good eye." Dante grinned. "What about Nero? Did he love sitting in those pews as much as you?" The owner of the Devil Bringer didn't seem to be the religious type, though Dante could be off about that.

Kyrie shook her head with a wry smile. "If I thought I was bored stiff, he was far gone before the priest finished uttering his first verse."

The son of Sparda looked coyly at Fortuna's songstress. "Did you sing him awake?"

The woman pinkened. "No, no. He woke on his own. Most of the time. I remember asking my brother Credo after a particularly long sermon that I wanted to make lemonade for everyone who came out of congressionals awake. They deserved lemonade after being inside for so long. I thought of plans. Next sermon I'd set up a table right outside and as soon as the congressional was finished, I'd race out so I wouldn't miss anyone leaving."

A reversed thumb pointed to his chest was Dante's answer. "I'd want snacks with the lemonade if I were part of that audience."

Kyrie smiled at the concept of a son becoming bored with listening to others praise his father. She didn't have parents to be annoyed over, Dante presumed.

"Credo, learning to be a proper man as best he could for the Order just patted my head and walked off when I told him my suggestion. That was it. I always wondered if he thought I was foolish for thinking this way." She buried her face in her hands. Her shoulders shuddered and Dante understood she was crying.

"What's the matter?" Dante queried softly, already having a pretty good notion. Random outbursts of hysterics from women Dante was unfamiliar with. But Kyrie wasn't any lady. In the final fight between the Savior and Nero, both Dante and Kyrie were watching Nero's triumphant victory unfold. Dante had glanced at the woman whose name was the only thing he knew about her. Her passionate eyes were trained on Nero and simply him. Not on the gigantic stone edifice that was the Savior, not the flying shards of rubble that kicked up from the fight. Even with all the crashing and tremors the hulking Savior caused, Kyrie didn't stray her gaze from an important person.

Kyrie sniffled and moved her hands off her face. Her tear-stained cheeks were flushed. "Credo. I miss him. I won't be able to find out anything about him anymore."

Dante could relate. When Vergil sunk into the bottomless abyss of blackness at the tower of Temen-ni-gru, Dante's chest felt like a gaping hole had been drilled in it. Why wouldn't it? He had saw his brother willfully leap to his destruction and Dante couldn't pull him back up. There were low moods when that moment would play over and over in his mind, like a bad rerun on a dysfunctional TV set.

Years had passed since that incident, and though seasoned by experiences and new people entering his life, Dante never let himself forget about his departed older brother. Dante's cut leather glove from their last fight remained with him to this day.

"Did he..." Kyrie spoke again, distracting Dante from his moodier thoughts. She paused to take a breath. "Was Credo in pain when he passed away?"

The question was unexpected. But then, she hadn't been around when her brother had been unmercifully stabbed by Sanctus. What a bastard.

Dante could lie, create some fabrication to sugarcoat the truth, but that seemed rude to the one who pleaded with him to care for her and Nero. Disrespecting a dying man's wish was something Dante absolutely would not do.

He kept his tone firm, yet empathetic. "Yes. But he endured to the very end. He loved you. That was undeniably clear."

Kyrie, though crying, nodded gratefully. She looked at peace.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Are you lost?" an inquiring voice sounded from behind Nero. The voice was void of emotion.

He spun around and pointed his Blue Rose at the direction of the voice. An androgynous figure seated itself on the arm of a plush, high-backed Victorian chair. That it seemed like a woman was Nero's assumption. The person had none of the fitting endowments a woman ought to possess, nor neither a man's. From the somewhat feminine tone of her question, Nero wanted to assume the figure was female. Besides, it was simpler to refer to her as one. She didn't wear any clothes, but naked, there was nothing for Nero to peep at. There was no genitalia, just a haze in those parts. She was flat-chested. By chest, the word was literal. What appeared like a polished cherry wood veneer cover was part of her body. It came complete with an enticing chrome keyhole at the base. She had curly ebony fringes and the rest of her shoulder length mane was wavy. The thick strands of hair, its color so dark, appeared to suck in the light from around them.

Nero lowered his gun halfway. "I need information."

She appraised Nero for a long while, studying him intently. Her emotionless eyes, wavering like liquid took in his sword held at his side. She patted the empty seat. "A visitor. Do sit down." The low and deliberately monotone voice held as much emotion as a cactus.

"No, thanks."

"If you don't sit, how can I share what I know?" She tugged a lock of what passed as hair for her.

Nero grimaced, holstering Blue Rose. Getting on her good side was going to get answers? He stiffly stepped to the chair and sat, his Red Queen laid across his lap. "You don't mind an extra guest, do you?" he asked rebelliously, tapping the flat metal.

"You won't need your weapon." She traced a gossamer finger down his temple.

Her trail stung like hot needles. Nero bit his lip to keep from revolting. His altered arm shone briefly in his stead. He had to get the information no matter what. Ticking her off would lose his chance. He had to bear the pain. Nero forced his eyes to meet hers. They were bottomless shimmering pools, hypnotizing because of their lush depths. Any man would fall into their allure at first glance. Nero could feel their pull. Kyrie's eyes were not trance-like orbs of eternal beauty, but they were always animated. They drew him in whenever she paid full attention to his words. This homunculus, though it had the most incredible eyes Nero had ever encountered, without any indication of feelings its eyes were hollow and eerie.

"Why won't I need it?" he asked through gritted teeth as he prayed for the throbbing to subside.

"You're much tolerable than my last guest. Have you ever spoke with anyone with a horn as its mouth? Obscene, the noise he made." Even in her negativity her tone remained void of life.

"Can't say I have. I'm here for your... advice." He explained Kyrie's attack and what she and him had been through when the Savior was around.

"The Savior is tenacious." This sounded like a compliment despite no fond inflection in her answer.

"The Savior is still around?!" Nero gasped. In his last fight with the mammoth, Nero felt his enemy _pulverize_ under the compression of his Devil Bringer's fist. There was no way the Savior or Sanctus could survive.

The being shook her head. "Oh no, not the supreme being itself. Fragments. Wisps, you could say. They have been infused in her system."

"I was about to be merged with the Savior too. I went through the same thing she did. Why aren't I going through anything?" Nero could barely keep his anger in check. His death grip on the handle of Red Queen turned his human knuckles white. Of course he didn't wish any illness upon himself, but more for Kyrie did he not want harm inflicted.

"You're fine because you have demon blood. Your body could fight off the invasion of these remnants of the Savior." For the first time since their meeting, her face revealed the tiniest shift of emotion. Pleasure with her assessment.

"I thought you were on the Savior's side."

"I am not on any side. I am a resource. I am a resource for the Order. I am fascinated by anyone who could fight off the Savior from within. Not an easy task. May I get your name so I can store it?" She tapped her boxed chest.

"How can she be healed?" Nero asked, evading her request. He was jittery enough to leap up from the chair to shake the answer out of her.

She mechanically titled her head to the side. "I need to retrieve this answer." A silver key materialized from the air and her fingers grasped it. She slid the key into her golden chest lock and turned. The cover slid open and she reached inside a vortex of swirling colors. She took her hand out, pulling out a glow of light which didn't seem significant to Nero. It wasn't exactly a Rolodex.

But apparently it meant something to her, for she smiled when she looked at it. She seemed to read whatever lay in her palm and nodded in comprehension. She closed her palm and the glowing ball dissipated.

"Well?" Nero demanded impatiently.

The homunculus' undulating eyes, so dead and listless before, were aglow with anticipation. The smile that split her face was chillingly alarming. Nero felt his stomach plummet, more for the fact she was reacting than her expression.

"She must be killed."


	3. Truth

**Author's note: Nero got a shock in the previous chapter, but of course, it doesn't stop there!**

* * *

Chapter 3

"Kill her, what?!" Nero leaped up from the chair, but its legs didn't budge at all and he flopped down again. He couldn't believe what he was comprehending.

"Is it not logical? To resurrect one, that same one must perish." The homunculus's face almost bordered on expressing glee as she teetered on the armrest of the chair.

Fury made Nero grab the homunculus by the neck with his Devil Bringer hand. The sting from making contact with her jolted through his fingers and down his arm, but he didn't give a damn. "What the hell kind of logic is that?"

Unfazed by his zeal, the homunculus returned gazing at him with the same coolness as it had. "To you, the logic is lost. In magical science, this trade makes remarkable sense. I am excited to bear witness to this exchange in Fortuna."

"What's so exciting about ending a life? You're sick if you find enjoyment in watching people suffer!" Nero bellowed, caring nothing about tact nor the biting throb in his hand.

The smirking figure lifted a shoulder. "I didn't utter a word about receiving enjoyment from inflicting death. From the point of view of one who has interest in alchemy, this chance does not present itself often. When it does, if death happens to be the price to see this rare opportunity, then I am not one to stop it."

Nero frowned. "You make this seem like an experiment."

"Accept this or not, did you not wish to discover a method to cure the girl?" The homunculus was still not perturbed by Nero's clawed fingers wrapped around her windpipe. Assuming she had one.

Silence reigned Nero. That was true. He begrudgingly released her. She didn't cough upon his loosened grip. Maybe she really didn't need to breathe.

She remained poised on the arm of the chair, her expectant stare requesting him to seat himself once again. Nero refused to and for some time they engaged in a glaring match. Well, more from his side.

"She does not die in the normal sense." His host broke the silence. "There is a dagger specifically created as a companion to the Savior. It was meant to be retrieved by him, but with him gone the relic has stayed dormant. To him, the dagger was an expansion of his power. To a human, it can be a cleansing spell."

Kyrie's odd statement before she was ill ticked in Nero's brain. Something about acquiring an object. If it was the Savior who originally wanted this weapon, it made sense why Kyrie had no memory of saying such a thing. She wasn't the one thinking it. "So using it will save her?" Nero asked directly.

"Correct. Naturally, the dagger must remain as is. It is an extraordinary weapon."

"Wha-?" Nero frowned in perplexity. "What's that mean?"

The homunculus smiled patronizingly. "The truth will make sense when you have it in your hands."

"So... so how is Kyrie supposed to cleansed?" Nero's mind was still reeling from the bombshell news. Would Kyrie need to commit suicide? His stomach revolted at the mere thought.

The homunculus must love to inflict pain because her reply was extra salt to his open wound. "Strike her clean through the heart with it and she will be herself."

"She'll die!" Stabbing equated to dying in Nero's logic.

"If done properly she will recover. The spell can only be activated this way."

"Will it work?"

A wondering tilt of the jaw came from the homunculus. "As magic can be unstable, particularly a cleansing spell so specific in intention, the outcome is uncertain. All the variables may line up and the rite can succeed without a hitch, or you may lose this woman."

He remembered the strange moment of amnesia Kyrie went through. Nero explained this.

The homunculus didn't seem overly surprised at hearing this. "It must be a reaction of the Savior to you. Or should I say the Savior who was. I cannot determine why, though."

Nero juggled Red Queen in his hands with antsy impatience. Maybe it was this place, but his head was swimming, like he inhaled opium. Drug or information overload? He had to get out soon. "This dagger, where is it?"

"A cave." She reached out a hand to the side of his face and Nero drew back. She shook her head to placate him. He hesitantly inched forward. She passed her hand over his eyes like a crafty magician. The whereabouts of the cave flashed in his mind. He felt the presence of demonic energies within.

"Battles, huh? Tough monsters?"

"Perhaps. But I believe the trial is more about the infected being you are attempting to save."

"Kyrie. Her name is Kyrie," Nero snapped sharply.

The homunculus inclined her head respectfully. "My apologies. Kyrie will experience pain as she accompanies you. If she can endure it before you acquire the dagger, half of the journey is over."

Nero shook his head instantly. He pried himself from the chair properly and stood. He faced her. "No way she's coming!"

"If running in circles is your intention in the cave, feel free to leave her behind."

Confusion crossed Nero's hard face. "Is she gonna be a roadmap or somethin'?"

"Essentially. The dagger's energy and the Savior's is the same. But if you wish to find the dagger on your own, you may do exactly that. The choice is entirely up to you. Thrilling, is it not?" The homunculus folded her hands and smiled gamely.

"Screw you." Nero turned on his heel and stalked away. When he realized his world was a dense haze of cloud and there wasn't exactly a door as an exit, he turned around again. "Let me out."

"What is the phrase you humans say? Ah, 'What's the magic word?'"

"Now." Nero had gotten what he came for and could finally safely threaten the homunculus by pointing the sharp end of Red Queen at her chest. If the thing really was made out of wood, his sword would strike through it with laughable ease.

"Hmm, I will record that word as a magic one in my database. You have been most helpful." The homunculus slipped off the armrest and centered herself. She bowed low, one hand regally positioned over her chest. She faded away. Nero's surroundings began to dissipate. Soon, he was standing solidly outside the entranceway of Fortuna castle.

His wooziness began to lift as he gulped down lungfuls of the luscious, untainted air.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

What was Nero supposed to tell her? Maybe she had to die to be restored to normal? What sort of happy news was that?

He stood in front of the closed tent where Kyrie and Dante were in. He was going to head in to give the news straight out and without hesitation. Right. Piece of cake. Nero examined the grained flaps that composed the entrance, suddenly finding the thick plastic fascinating enough to keep standing there.

Okay, this wasn't the slice of cake Nero wanted to make it out to be. Nero forced a foot forward, but stopped short when he heard from inside... laughter? He felt amused. Dippy Dante and Kyrie were chatting.

Kyrie sounded at a lack of breath from giggling at length. "W-wow, I can't believe it. So then what happened?"

"I got caught and regretfully lost the bet." Dante's reply was steeping in rue. "Man, I was _this _close, too. So, Lady won the bet, but I declared war on her for later. We did have a job to go to."

"What did you have to do since you lost?"

Muteness came from the Dante's end. Nero heard shifting and understood Dante must've been stepping around the room. "Let's just say the demons we nuked got a glimpse of a different side of me. And so did that infernal Lady."

"Please, you can tell me your secret. I promise I won't tell anyone." Nero almost snorted; her devout sincerity to keep a trivial secret was cute.

"Not even your love muffin?"

There was a pause, then, assertively, "Yes. I won't say a word to him."

Dante was likely observing her for he didn't speak for a long moment. "I got to swordfight and gun demons wearing an unorthodox outfit from Trish's wardrobe. Let's say I don't fill in her brassieres as well as she. My legs almost passed in her meshed stockings. I love red ones."

Upon hearing what Dante confessed, Nero had to cover his mouth to keep from chortling. He wasn't meant to eavesdrop. Ha, Dante dressed in drag! The tittering on Kyrie's end quickly blew and was so loud, Nero wanted to follow. Her laughter was infectious and Dante joined along, a little embarrassingly.

When Kyrie regained her voice, she asked, "When do you think our traveler will return?"

A shuffle of boots. "Sooner than we think."

At the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps, Nero yanked himself to the side of the entryway to make it seem like he had just arrived. Two seconds later, Dante filled the entrance. "Well, lookie who we have here."

"Hi, Nero." Kyrie greeted him when he entered the tent, humor still present in her tone. She was sitting up in the cot. Nero was saddened to wipe away her gaiety. A rush of woe made Nero's smile falter.

"Hi." The uneasy Nero kept glancing at Dante. Nero half-hoped the experienced man would tell him how much information he wanted to disclose to Kyrie was wrong or right. Hell, just having Dante tell him if what he had to put Kyrie through was wrong or right. Dante must have been through similar situations. Of course, they had to leave to converse privately and that wasn't about to happen without tipping off Kyrie that something was wrong. Ultimately, the decision was up to Nero. He forced his eyes onto Kyrie and only her. "You're up and at 'em."

"Yes. Did you find out anything?" Kyrie looked gut-twistingly hopeful.

"Yes. The trip, ah... It was..." This preamble wasn't exactly exuding confidence like Nero calculated.

He couldn't do it. He couldn't say how she was to be cured. Not with the way her faith was shining so bright in those brown eyes of hers. "...it was out of this world." He spoke more assuredly now that he had chosen what to do. Nero brightly divulged the existence of the dagger, its powers, and its location, keenly excluding the method of annihilating the fragments of the Savior within Kyrie.

The wane girl seemed to lift at the good piece of news. "Wonderful! Isn't hearing this great, Dante?"

"Yeah, fantastic." Dante sounded upbeat himself, but passed an unreadable look at Nero who purposefully avoided his eyes.

Nero cleared his throat. "There's a stipulation. You need to come with us to find the dagger." He explained to her why.

"I'm a compass." Resistance wasn't even registering in Kyrie. She was eager.

Nero felt anxious. He told her about likely being attacked. Though intuition told him to bring her, his heart wasn't following.

Kyrie touched his arm. "I need to come. You understand, right?"

Nero didn't say anything, but his nod revealed assent. She was right. He looked straight at Dante. "Will you join us?"

"I do have paying customers waiting back home." Dante crossed his arms over his chest.

Disappointment bit Nero. Dante wasn't obligated to come, but hacking through demons was always better with a partner. With Kyrie accompanying, a partner was even more imperative. God knows if she'd be attacked when Nero wasn't looking.

Dante clamped his hand down on Nero's shoulder. His wide grin spread. "Who says I can't accept a freebie, eh?"

Grateful anticipation rushed through Nero. He nodded a thanks.

"Before we go, how about we eat?" Kyrie suggested.

What a great girl. "Food, now you're talking!" Both men answered enthusiastically in unison.


	4. Nature Has Attitude

**Author's note: Revisions galore in this chapter. The adage of editing before posting is always true! My first draft looked much different than the final.**

* * *

Chapter 4

Regardless of her changed state, Kyrie committed to her promise to be tour guide. Her strength was back and walking posed no problems. She made commentary to Dante about shops as everyone passed them to reach a restaurant to eat. She insisted on treating them. If Nero didn't know any better, he'd think he was out for a regular gathering with friends to celebrate the finish of a hard afternoon's work instead of preparing to fight.

In and out of the diner in an eyeblink, everyone had their share of --to Dante's insistence-- pizza. Nero tried to warn Kyrie about Dante's craze for the breaded goodness when Dante had suggested it, but she didn't mind. If she was brave enough to withstand the maniac's zest for the doughy snack, Nero would follow.

"I'm stuffed!" Dante declared happily as they stepped outside.

The guy had a concoction of way too many toppings on a pizza. Make that two pizzas. They split up slices, with Dante hoarding a majority.

Nero discovered too late that his fondness for pizza was dampened by the amount of cheese layered on top of the mountain of toppings. Eating too fast combined with the greasy cheese made him slightly queasy. He had been famished from his workload so he couldn't help stuffing piece after piece in his mouth.

"How interesting that so many toppings can be requested," Kyrie commented. She hadn't consumed much. She probably didn't feel up to eating par which was understandable.

"Gotta love custom orders." Dante chuckled. Nero shook his head. Trust Dante to abuse the option of multiple toppings.

Nero guided them to the cavern he was informed the dagger was inside. Nobody said much once they got underway.

The interior of the cave was smaller than Nero expected. The sides were narrow. For one person the size was fine, but with three the space was cramped. Farther down, the cave did seem to stretch on much longer. Dank, stale air assaulted Nero's nose and his upset stomach lurched. The rank odor was insulting the pizza he ate which seemed very appealing now compared to the stink he was inhaling now.

The ground sloped unevenly and his feet had a hard time balancing. Further down, the bumpy ground seemed like miniature mole hills from the entrance.

Kyrie eyed her surroundings warily. "I hope I don't regurgitate in here."

"You're not the only one," Nero agreed as they carefully stepped inside the mound. "Stay close to us."

She nodded.

The interior was humid and the damp stone walls were proof. Dante groaned in revulsion. Nero glanced over to see his big boots had sunk in an oozing puddle of some sticky and chunky mess.

"This trip bites already," Dante grumbled half-seriously.

Nero grinned. "Just think, your boots have walked in goo no man has stepped in before."

"Pleasant." Dante rolled his blue eyes.

They stepped cautiously. Dante hefted his Rebellion sword in his hands. Nero eased Blue Rose out of its holster. If a sword didn't cut things then bullets might work.

An earthy rumbling noise trembled the walls, sending specks of dirt and debris at their feet. The tremor eased almost as soon as it began.

Dante tapped the wall with the tip of Rebellion. "Gosh, kid, was that your stomach?" he joked. He dragged the blade across its bumpy surface, like how one would pull a branch against a chain link fence to hear the rhythmic clanging.

"Heh, should I get heartburn medicine?" Nero replied airily, all the while eying around them. Dante wasn't ever going to stop calling him that name, was he?

Rebellion stopped moving and so did Dante. At the stop, Nero turned to see a globby mass emerging out of the wall. A blobby extension wrapped around the metal.

Why did something goopy have to be stuck in a cave? There was going to be some serious laundry action after Nero escaped of this sticky situation, he knew it. He lifted Blue Rose and fired some test shots at the creature's appendage. Breakable or plain liquid?

Bullets pierced the monster, eliciting a squishing noise but nothing solid cracking. The attack loosened the sludge wrapped around Rebellion for Dante to yank it free.

"All right!" Dante lopped off the arm that had grabbed his beloved weapon. The arm disintegrated into wet sludge that slopped on top of Dante's not-so-shiny cowboy boots. The muck swirled around his ankles, then his feet, hardening to immobilize Dante. Wet mud reformed the creature's chopped arm.

"Mud is the 'in' look, huh?" Nero quipped, shooting the rock-like substance at Dante's feet. Shards flew around him and Nero blocked Kyrie in case one of them impaled her.

Dante scoffed. "I don't follow the fashion trends."

Another slopping arm whipped out from the creature, this time at the man inserting the itchy foreign bullets into its body. Nero and Kyrie ducked. Nero took aim again. He concentrated his spiritual energy into the long barrel of Blue Rose. When the elongated tentacle swung back to knock their feet out from under them, Nero released the blunt energy blast, breaking off a beefy chunk of the appendage before it connected with him. The traveling arm flew a good few feet away.

Dante raised his sword to the wall where the mud-like creature dripped out from. He stabbed the business end of Rebellion into the approximate place where the creature's face should be. A tinny shrieking scream echoed in the cavern and the goop halted and hardened to the wall.

"Ooh, ooh, you did it!" a mousy voice chirped.

Everyone turned their heads to find the source of the voice.

"Here, here!"

There was nobody around, near them or farther down the cave.

Kyrie let out a startled gasp, She was staring down at her foot. Following her gaze, Nero saw a tiny puffy object bouncing up and down on her boot toe. The being was no bigger than a mini donut. It had doey-circular eyes. Cotton swab-looking sticks made up its legs and arms.

The first thing Nero thought when seeing the intruder was that it was about to leap on Kyrie and attack. He rushed first, pointing Blue Rose at it, then realized he couldn't shoot straight on. Otherwise, he'd make Kyrie's foot bleed. He could threaten all he wanted, anyway. Maybe fire to the side of her if necessary.

"Hey, don't point that thing at me." The fuzz shook a miniature fist all the way up to Nero while looking nervously at the gun barrel.

The girl bent down to get a better look at their guest. Her coo then was cute, just like when Nero would come along to window shop with her around Fortuna. She'd make the same sound upon catching sight of some ridiculously tiny trinket that was the size of a thumbnail. Still, as much as Nero wanted to enjoy Kyrie's fawning over whatever the thing was, they couldn't be too careful. He didn't take his aim away. "Who are you?"

"A bored soul in this dungeon." It wiggled a thin stick arm at Nero. "Give me a name. That's fun."

Nero sighed. He was searching for the dagger and now he was coming up with names? "We'll call you Pint Size." He said the first random name which popped in mind.

"Great one," Dante complimented from across the area, smirking.

"Thanks, I'm a natural," Nero replied breezily, not caring what they called the thing.

"Are you on vacation?" Pint Size was seemingly a male from the interested and lecherous way it peered up at Kyrie.

"We're searching for something," Kyrie slowly replied as she watched Nero as if to ask for permission. He shook a no. What did this dust bunny need to know for?

"Neat. I'm bored. I wanna come along until you find it!" Before anyone could add anything, the fuzz ball suddenly hopped at Kyrie and dove into the low front of her shirt. Kyrie gasped.

"W-what are you doing?" she demanded, attempting to pry Pint Size out. Nero definitely could not shoot where it hid. Clever bugger.

"If I'm sticking around, I want to watch. Here is good. I like this seat." It bobbed up and down in the crevice between her shapely breasts, resting on something inside her shirt which prevented the woman from plucking the creature out.

Kyrie reddened furiously. So did Nero when he kept roaming his eyes downwards to spot the dust speck. His searching of her chest didn't give off a good impression on his end. Not that he didn't mind peeking, because Kyrie did have a nice fullness to her-- wait, he wasn't a pervert! He detracted his stare off her chest.

Kyrie hastily reached in her shirt and pulled, but Pint Size's held on to --Nero then embarrassingly deduced-- the front of her bra.

_Piece of crap_, Nero thought angrily. Who needed this extra hassle loaded on his mental dinner plate when he had enough worries? No gravy for him, thanks!

_Hmm, did Kyrie own any lacy bras?_ The random pondering took him by surprise. Ack!

Dante meandered over next to him and followed his eyes to the frazzled Kyrie who had to contend with a strange demon down her shirt. His arms crossed over his chest. "Don't you wish you were the lil' guy?" he murmured low enough for only Nero to hear.

"I'll kill you," Nero grumbled snarkily, flashing Blue Rose under Dante's chin as he passed him to move on. To the squirt, he warned, "You can come, but try anything and you're toast."

Pint Size nodded. "I've never been a piece of toast before."

Moving inward, they came across branches of hallways which intersected to more hallways. The narrow walls were made of wiry cords of thorns, thick enough that the sides may as well have been constructed of solid granite. Inside, the paths were dimly lit by the light peeking through the thorns from the outside, where they were now.

"Mazes, what a hoot," Dante said.

Nero stared at the paths. Which one to pick? Which was the right one? He was thinking so intently that he didn't see the creeping vines edging toward Kyrie. Right when Nero turned to Kyrie to ask her for any insights, the vines burst forth from the ground and wrapped tightly around her neck.

She choked, instantly dropping to her knees. Dante sprung past Nero and slashed at the vines, only to have this blade deflected.

The growth did not stop there. As if they had a consciousness of their own, more vines entwined Kyrie from the waist down. She managed to keep an arm partly free before the vines hugged her with a tight squeeze.

Nero twirled around the swordsman, fingers reaching to snag Red Queen from his back. He grasped the gas handle and revved it, spraying hot propellant down the blade for a charge of extra power. The edge glowed red and summarily Nero sliced Red Queen down in a hard arc to sever the vines. His strike bounced harmlessly off too. A zing raced up his swinging arm at the deflection.

"Do something!" the puff yelled. "This doll is going to go the way of the-"

Both demons drew out their guns and simultaneously shot at the growth. Nothing! Was this freakin' thing impervious to everything? Nero racked his brain, but all he came up with was rising panic and annoyance. Weapons weren't making a mark, Kyrie was suffocating, and they just got in here! Nero scrabbled his hands along his coat as his neurons inspired him. If he had it, oh, if he still had one...

Kyrie's face was turning purple. She desperately clawed her hands around the noose around her neck and yanked, but her lack of oxygen weakened her. Her slightly free arm tried instead to pry at the lower cords. They wouldn't budge. Her strength was waning.

Dante shot again in case miraculously the vines were not immune to gunfire. Still nothing new. "Kid, what are you searching for? A crowbar?"

"Wait, I know it's-" Nero shoved his human hand in the last pocket of his coat. He whooped in triumph. He withdrew a flask of Holy Water and yanked off its cap. The volatile cerulean liquid exposed to the air and reacted immediately. It sloshed violently inside, a mini raging sea at storm. Nero barely had enough time to hold up the glass container above his head before it shattered into tiny shards. Streams of dazzling blue rays shots out and a flash of brightness nearly blinded Nero.

It wasn't audible at first, but a hissing sound reached his ears. The tentacles of the vines began to loosen gingerly. Yes, success!

Nero jumped forward and sped up the unfurling process by sinking his sharp claws from his demonic arm into the beefiest vine wrapped around Kyrie's neck. He jerked it away frantically, hoping that air could enter her throat.

Kyrie's mouth moved, but no sound came yet. With the draining effect of the Holy Water, the vines were loosening, but was it fast enough? Nero slammed the restricting choker over and over.

There was a whistling sound as Kyrie sucked in much needed air. She coughed, struggling to escape the hold on her. She breathed, but not fully. Still hostage to the lasso around her neck, she croaked his and Dante's names.

Dante hopped on over. He jammed the barrels of Ebony and Ivory into the offender and unleashed some rounds. Squishing sounds were heard, though whether it was a positive sign or not he didn't seem to care.

Nero, seeing she'd be alive, leaped up and furiously embedded his claws again into the sliding mass. His Devil Bringer squeezed as hard as he could. A satisfying crunch of bone was heard. Followed by another. Then a third as his crushing traveled farther down the tube. When the piece of vine slackened in his grip, he dropped it.

Dante seized the gasping Kyrie by the upper arm and hoisted her to a standing position. "We've gotta move!" he commanded to his two friends.

Confronted with the maze and still not knowing where the hell direction to head, Nero snapped at their new guest, "Hey, which way do we take to get to the end of this place?"

Pint Size waved his limbs up. "Sorry, I'm a bystander, remember?"

Nero started to run through the outermost right path, but Kyrie grasped his arm and swung his momentum to the left side. She was likely getting a keener sense of which way to go so he and Dante followed.

The path narrowed into a tight corridor. There was enough space for one person to walk. Nero took lead, followed behind by Kyrie, then Dante who secured the back.

When their feet crossed into the constricted entrance, the exit behind them sealed up with vined thorns. Lots of them, fat and prickly, sewed up the hole in seconds. All light from the outside blotted out, drenching them in darkness.

Oh, crap.


	5. Close Quarters

**Author's note: I got chuckles writing this chapter. Not easy in such a serious story, but it was possible! **

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Chapter 5

Pitch black darkness. Aside from hot stuffy air, there was little else Nero could discern around them. The agitated blue glow from Nero's demonic arm was the beacon. His hand being used as a torch; that was a first.

He glanced up when he noticed the light from his arm dimmed in that direction. High head space. No need to worry about being too tall in here. Now if only he were a botanist. Maybe he'd understand why garden life had a mind of its own in here.

"How come she knows where to go?" The cream puff asked the guys.

Nero didn't bother responding, and neither did Dante. They were concentrating on any potential shapes popping up in the darkness. Kyrie could've ignored him too, but not being as busy as they, she filled in by informing him of her tracking ability.

After some silence, casually, as if nobody could tell his fishing expedition was meant primarily for Kyrie, Pint Size asked, "So, uh, is everyone here single?"

No one responded.

The maze stretched on. The path was straightforward but cramped, forcing everyone to remain walking in single file. Kyrie was sandwiched in the middle of the two men, with Nero in front and Dante who seemed more than pleased to be taking up the rear. It gave him a unique perspective on Kyrie, undoubtedly.

Nobody said anything as they wound around corners. Their pattering footsteps were interrupted by a loud curse from Nero. A surprise poke in the cheek from turning a corner too fast was the cause. Something from the dumb wall scraped it.

Dante chuckled despite the frustrated disapproval Nero let out. "Is this like the tease before the real show begins? I like it." He rubbed his hands together lasciviously.

"If you liked to be jabbed in the dark," Nero answered moodily.

"That's all the more exciting. Wouldn't you say, Kyrie?" Dante directed the latter question to her.

Kyrie squealed then, prompting Nero to flash a startled glance over his shoulder. Kyrie pointed a finger behind her at the hunter. "He poked me. It tickled."

"Hey, she bumped into me." Nero could hear the playfulness in Dante's tone, meaning he jabbed her completely on purpose.

The goober hanging in Kyrie's blouse began bouncing in place. "Ooh, I like this ride. I get cushions!"

There was a whack as Kyrie swatted her chest. "Get out, please."

Movement ceased. "I'll be good," Pint Size obediently concurred.

"Follow what she says. Get out." Conductor Nero stopped the train of people when he spun around and leveled his Blue Rose at Pint Size.

"You can't shoot me. You might miss." Even in the darkness, the trickery in the pipsqueak's challenge could not be mistaken. Neither could the flash of fear that misted in Kyrie's gaze at seeing the barrel of Blue Rose zeroed on her.

Nero knew the demon was absolutely right. As much as Nero wanted to get rid of Pint Size, he wasn't going to risk mauling Kyrie just to shoo their lewd guest off. Damn it.

He lowered his trigger hand and resumed his vigilance ahead. A deep frown set on Nero's face which none other could see in the blackness. If worse came to worse, Nero could always jump Kyrie, snatch the thing and squeeze the filling out of him. Nero would need to apologize to her for the next decade for grabbing her chest, but his plan would get the job done.

From the rear, Dante made him feel better by adding, "Good choice, kid. You don't want your girlfriend to look like Swiss cheese do ya?"

"Nero, you'll do great so I won't be like that." Kyrie spoke positively. Nero felt a brush against his back. He smiled dimly at her encouragement, even though she couldn't see his face.

They made their way around several consecutive sharp turns in varied directions. A lengthy straightaway stretched ahead, followed by another set of crazy corners to navigate. Around what seemed like the third billionth corner, Kyrie bumped into Nero, and in turn, Dante into Kyrie when Nero abruptly ceased his tracks. The youth had derailed the train again, but he had good reason. A dead end greeted him, a set of paths junctioning off to right and left.

"So, Glowworm, where do we go?" the fuzz ball asked.

"You're the native. You tell us."

"I haven't gone through all these adventures myself. I'm usually sleeping the hours away." To press Pint Size's point, a yawn escaped him.

There was a fluttering sound. It skated to and fro, above their heads. It zipped past Nero's ear. Hearing this in the dark was like listening to a buzzing fly who had no sense of direction. A really loud one. A thick serrated blade jutted through the side of the wall behind Kyrie's left calf. She shouted in surprise and stumbled forward, ramming into Nero.

Dante hopped backwards. In the dim blue glow of Nero's arm, Dante grinned and teasingly kicked the hunk of metal. "Big boy is coming out to play?"

As if spurred on by the luring tap, the owner of the weapon followed through with its misshapen head, then its stretched body. Nero squinted at it. The demon's mouth consisted of one wide blade, and so was its gangly arms.

The attacker slashed horizontally at Dante. Devil hunter Dante held Rebellion straight up. Bright orange sparks flew as both weapons clashed.

"C'mon, keep going!" Nero shouted at Kyrie above the clanging. Fighting was good for a new light source, but bad for everything else.

"But-" Kyrie hesitated and watched Dante who was goading the creature's malice by spinning on a balanced leg. She pressed a hand to the side of her throat and grimaced. The Savior fragments were acting up.

"Stand back." Nero darted behind Kyrie, facing the contenders who were inching their way closer to them as they traded blows. Dante needed an opening to get through. Grasping the handle of Red Queen on his back, Nero scrutinized, seeking a chance to slip in. He bent low, hoping to destroy the thing's legs with a harsh sweep while Dante took care of the top.

Dante met his eyes through a blink. He understood Nero's intention. With hardly any light in the hall, Nero almost didn't catch Dante's look if he blinked himself.

Dante leaped up and slashed ferociously down at the beast's face. The face blade of the demon arced up and his attack met scraping as blades struck again.

Dante landed on his feet and brandished Lucifer. The clawed head of the weapon sat on his shoulder like a piece of shining armor, its appendages flaring out to the sides dramatically. Nero could already tell this showy weapon was perfectly suited for Dante's flamboyant personality. A red rose twirled in his fingers. Dante flicked it airily at the demon. The flower bounced harmlessly off, broken red petals showering its feet. A second rose materialized between Dante's lips. His mocking smirk grew.

Again, he flicked his flora at the demon. Then a deliberate third. A tawdry fourth one was thrown. The demon paused in confusion as it watched Dante. It growled.

Nero started to wonder what t he hell the guy was doing. He was getting annoyed.

...that was it.

Dante was taunting yet again.

The perplexed attacker began to snuff in impatience at the little fly of a man. With a short clap of hands, Dante conjured three shining crimson swords. They suspended in the air, appearing as pointless as the rose was. The area bathed in a diffused red glow. Another rose zoomed in the demon's direction. As soon as the rose made contact, the hovering swords exploded with loud bangs.

Startled at the noisemakers, the demon rose on its legs. It suddenly whirled around to move on Nero. Too late for it, though, when Nero rushed forward to separate its kneecaps from his lower limbs. Red Queen nicked the demon's shins as its mouth blade swooped down to deflect Nero's swipe. The familiar spark shower glared in his face.

"Go, go!" came Pint Size's cheer, though who he vied for Nero couldn't tell.

The edgy demon stomped a foot. It hunched down, preparing to charge at Nero. With the monster facing him in clear view and his glowing Devil Bringer, Nero noticed caked blood on the face blade and what passed for its mouth.

Dante took advantage of the overhead opening and launched himself high and right over the head of the demon. With no room to land between Nero and the monster, Dante crashed on top of Nero in the restricted fighting space. They tumbled down in a mangled heap of limbs and clothing.

Nero wheezed as Dante's hefty bulk on his torso whooshed air out of his lungs. This guy had to lay off the pizzas.

Kyrie hopped back against the thorny wall and yelped. The demon raised its sharp arms to impale the prone men.

If Nero were a woman, he'd be flattered at having a big strong man sprawled on top of him. Since he wasn't: "Sorry about this."

The laying Nero stabbed Dante through the torso to skewer the demon coming up from behind him. The monster roared and grabbed its rib cage to yank it free from the long blade embedded in it.

Dante grimaced, then frowned at him. "Crap, I'll get you for this." With Red Queen still protruding straight through his back, Dante whipped out his Coyote shotgun. He aimed behind his head. The close-ranged cacophonic blast spread shrapnel, ripping through the demon's side. An ugly mess of blood and hanging chunks of flesh turned Nero's stomach. He really didn't need to study this carnage so keenly.

The monster's furious howl rang in Nero's ears. That was his cue. Nero yanked out his sword from Dante's stomach with an apologetic --well, maybe not entirely-- grin.

Dante, aloof once again, turned around to take on the injured demon. Dante clapped enough to call an encore. The hallway was ablaze with crimson light now. He materialized a rose between his teeth.

The monster backed away. It understood what the rose meant.

"Parting, not such a sweet sorrow today." Rocking explosions thundered down the maze. The demon smoked and thudded to the ground in a bloody and charred mess. It didn't move.

Kyrie seemed fine, if not shaken. Nero, eager to get out of this weird cave, ran ahead past Kyrie and urged Kyrie to Dante. Nero looked at his partner. "Watch her and follow me. I'll take care of incoming problems for us." Nero was going to strike through anymore trash coming down this maze from the front.

They sprinted, Kyrie calling out directions at the turns. Her voice grew fainter as Nero sped up, his feet a windy blur.

"La la la la la LA! Wheeee!" Pint Size whooped. "Hey, can we take trips like this on a regular basis?"

"You're kidding?" Nero couldn't believe the suggestion. He ducked something sharp at eye-level.

"No! This is the coolest thing ever! We were almost squashed!"

What was Nero thinking, taking this goober along with them? Those flagrant gawks he shot Kyrie with were exasperating, and what the hell did Nero need commentary for?

The trail stretched on and on. Was the cave really so deep? Keen to get out of this confined maze, Nero ran so quickly that the others were out of his sight while he hurled himself around the last couple corners. He wanted this madness to be over and done with.

He reached the exit. Glorious light streamed in and Nero squinted against the shine. He burst out of the cramped hall into an open area. The stuffy feeling in his ears cleared up as they adjusted to spacious air.

A winged creature dangled in front of his face. Nero's swift boots skidded hard on the packed earth. The flying thing, red-eyed and veiny, made a screeching pip of a noise. It flapped its wings and a fine dust of violet gusted towards Nero.

Nero's relieved brain was still processing being out of that passage when purple invaded his face. He quickly held his breath, but to no success. His surprise made him react too late and he took the full brunt of the powder. He breathed it in and coughed. He waved a hand to clear the dust. His eyes stung and his lungs burned. He grabbed at his throat. This stuff seared worse than any chili powder!

Wooziness overwhelmed him. His head felt like a ton. He fought against the lethargy, struggled against whatever those fumes were. His eyes fluttered, begging him to drop. Damn, he was about to pass out or worse.

He turned around, the world whirling when he did. Stumbling back, he utilized his consciousness for as long as possible. Kyrie was coming. Nero could hear her racing feet, and Dante's farther behind.

They couldn't get caught by the dust. If this stuff was poison, they couldn't catch it. Not if he had something to do about it.

Nero lurched into the maze exit. The oppressive air pounded at his skull as he reentered the cramped space and coughed. His feet weighed like sinking lead.

Kyrie met him in the partial darkness. Nero woozily grabbed her shoulders before words could accompany the alarm on her face. He shoved her as far back as his weakening body could handle, unable to explain to her frightened expression why he did so. Unable to apologize when she tripped and fell because of his push. His mouth numbed.

Unconsciousness consumed him.


	6. Guns and Swords

**Author's note: This chapter went through some bumps during writing, but I made it!**

* * *

Chapter 6

"He's not waking!" Kyrie said frantically to Dante, both who were crouched and examining the fallen Nero. Dante had taken care of the moth that drugged Nero.

"What happened?" Dante's eyes roamed around them for more attackers.

Kyrie shook her head in confusion. She had caught up with him, but Nero seemed like he wanted her to stay away. Was there something else ahead or did he plain get sick of being around her because of the creepy Pint Size lodged in her shirt? The tiny demon wasn't doing anything but staring at Nero woefully. For a short moment, Kyrie felt resentful to the miniature host. If it weren't for him, Nero wouldn't be in this unconscious state. Then again, if it weren't for her, none of them would need to be in here.

She called out loudly to the unconscious protector and shook his limp body. She even worked up the nerve to half-heartedly slap him across the cheek, but still he didn't rouse. Kyrie pressed her ear against his chest. His heartbeat had slowed, but he was alive.

A dull but extremely persistent ache raced down her right thigh and she groaned. These Savior fragments were becoming painful the closer they reached their destination. Whatever was happening to her body, she had to make it through.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

_Nero dreamed. He stood in a vast field, tall flowers of many shapes and breeds reaching up for the limitless sunny sky. This place was placid and not filled with the busy bustle of people and shops Fortuna was popular for. No sounds surrounded Nero, save for his own breaths. _

_ The muteness was startling. Noise naturally attracted him, what with his devotion to the electric guitar, but quietness had its appeal, too. No distractions from what he desired._

_Kyrie was here, standing with a serene expression on her open face. She approached him, reaching out her hands. _

_ Nero wanted to confess how much she meant to his world, so he put his feelings into voice. Steady, uncompromising, he uttered words he never thought he would. He restlessly awaited her answer._

_The radiant beam Nero received lifted his spirits. He stretched out clawed fingers to Kyrie, not to hurt but to caress her cheek. _

_ His fingers stroked. From beneath his fingertips, Kyrie's bright skin faded into gray as dreary as ash. Her face solidified, hardening to stone. Cracks formed at the spot where Nero touched her face. They stitched webbed trails to her mouth and to the corner of her nearest eye. _

_ Nero panicked. What could he do to stop this? _

_ The shattering spread fully onto Kyrie's mouth. It was half open and about to reply to his affirmation, about to satisfy his hope. Her face covered with splintered stone. A large shard below her eye broke under the feather-light pressure. The piece fell, revealing a gaping black hole past the surface. Her gaze, still so vibrant, followed him._

_ He immediately withdrew his hand, desperately taking his touch back, but it was too late as more remains broke off. They buckled, piece by piece. Those dark eyes of hers faded. The woman's face could not form fear, or pain, or longing. Her clay skin fragmented and collapsed in a pile under her own heavy weight. _

_Horrified, Nero could do nothing except stare. There was nobody standing before him. She disappeared. She was gone. She was-_

_"Nero?" queried a voice from behind him._

_Turning around, Nero breathed out a hugely relieved sigh. Kyrie was just playing with him; there she was. Kyrie waved amicably at him._

_"You really ought to do a better job at keeping tabs on her," Dante spoke, emerging from behind Kyrie. His cocky grin accompanied the wag of his sword at Nero, as if the younger man were being lectured. Dante grasped Kyrie's shoulder with his free hand and leaned next to her ear. "He's such a doofus," he whispered loudly enough so Nero could hear._

_Kyrie tittered, watching Nero but speaking to Dante. "Well, he sees me now. Don't be so hard on him."_

_Nero puffed out his chest at Kyrie's defense. "Yeah, man. She's right."_

_Dante's smug smirk contorted to an ugly grin. "You see her, huh?" He stepped away from Kyrie, staring impassively over her shoulder at Nero. Apprehension suddenly tripped inside Nero._

_ Cold metal burst through the front of her chest as Dante thrust the blade of Rebellion straight through her. Blood soaked the front of her dress. The liquid trailed down her arms and legs, darkening the luminous pink flesh to crimson. Kyrie was still smiling._

_Nero began screaming. Blinding, endless wrath ripped the air out of his lungs. He was going to tear Dante apart! Starting with that snide face of his, Nero intended to mutilate it until there was nothing left for him to sneer about- _

------------------------------------------------------------------------

A zing in Nero's leg woke him. He jolted, sucking in air loudly. His disoriented eyes flew open. His body felt disconnected, like his spirit had left him and just decided to hop back in the driver's seat because it found the right body it belonged to. His back was leaning against a wall. They were still in the damn cave.

Nero stared at the seeping blood expanding through a tear on the side of his pant leg. A shell case lay nearby. Dante stood over him with his Ivory handgun aimed at the injured leg.

"Sorry, I couldn't wake you otherwise," Dante explained apologetically.

"S'ok." Nero rasped groggily. He rubbed his bleary eyes to chase away the nasty images. "Thank God for the wakeup."

"Good dream?" Dante questioned, naturally knowing the answer from Nero's negative response.

"The best." His forehead throbbed and he held it. He glared at Dante as an automatic reaction to his nightmare.

Dante returned his disdainful look with a befuddled expression. "What's with you?"

Nero shook his head. "Nothing. You guys made it out okay?"

Pint Size bobbed up and down, much to Kyrie's blushing annoyance. "You bet. Thanks for being a flashlight."

Nero frowned at him. "If you say 'bait' too, I'll..." But Nero couldn't shoot him.

"Nero, I'm glad you're all right." Kyrie bent closer to examine his wound. He instinctively flinched, drawing his knee closer to his stomach. With the Savior's remnants floating around inside her, Nero didn't know if his blood would activate something wicked inside her. He remembered just how much the real Savior had craved his blood and what lengths he went to get it.

A slightly hurt look passed Kyrie's face, but she stood like nothing was wrong.

"Where are we?" Nero asked, paving over the awkward moment. He didn't see the exit of the maze he burst out from. Jagged walls met his vision.

Dante gestured behind them. "Once we got out of that puzzle the entire thing walled up."

"The cave sounds like it's alive." Kyrie seemed thoughtful.

"We don't want to find out and get devoured, right?" Dante offered a gloved hand to help Nero stand.

Accepting the support, Nero climbed to his feet. The fog in his brain was lifting, albeit slowly. His body wasn't up to speed yet. "I wouldn't taste very good."

Pint Size wiggled his tiny arms in excitement. "But what a show it would be!"

This new section of the cave was more open to Nero's relief. Running around in the maze made his fighting needs itch.

A grunt sounded and Nero turned to see Kyrie fall to her hands and knees. Her face twisted.

"S-sorry," she apologized when Nero grasped her arm to stand her. "The pain was like a tidal wave."

Dante propped Rebellion on his shoulder. "We'll make it."

A booming noise shook the cavern. Nero tried to put aside his concern for the moment as he grinned. Oh yeah, there was going to be a rumble. Thundering steps sounded like they belonged to something hulking and very tall, but nothing was showing itself.

A crackle broke the air. A flash of light and a cold wave so intense swept over Nero that he teetered from the huge shiver.

A bulky monster shimmered into existence. Rows of countless slavering teeth gnashed. Slimy drool dripped from its mouth. A row of sharp horns lined its arms and legs. Nero doubt this was an invitation to hug the creature. Its thick orange hide was leathery and tough. Thick talons spiked out of its fingers, all eight of them on each hand.

Pretty it was not.

Dante waved a hand in front of his nose. Not only was the demon a disaster to behold, but its putrid scent was highly offensive. "Hoo, this thing needs a makeover, wouldn't you say?"

Nero grinned cockily. "And a year's supply of soap."

"Well, you're paying!" Dante jovially called out as he drew out his handguns.

"I'll pay for it if that'll help!" Kyrie piped in while Nero focused on which part of the monster to smash first with his demon hand.

"Cool!" the guys answered together.

The lofty demon eyed them, debating on which to snack on first.

Both hunters rushed in. It chose to swing a beefy arm of horns at them. Nero hiked himself in the air with a double jump just as the air current from the swipe passed underneath his feet. Red Queen revved and Nero swung the motorized sword at the horns protruding from the demon's left arm. Some shattered, crumbling like the shells at the docks in Port Caerula where Nero had crushed many with his booted heels.

Dante followed close by and swung Rebellion at the creature's other arm which was already swinging at him. More shells smashed.

The guys noticed now that a vile black ooze secreted from the open wounds they caused. A pungent odor wafted over, more foul than the body itself. Nero fought to keep his insides from coming out through his mouth. He glanced at Kyrie and saw her backed away from the main fight, a hand clasped over her nose.

The demon roared, shifting Nero's attention back. It lifted both arms and slammed them down in succession.

Dante and Nero evaded them with leaps. The intact shells on the demon's arms suddenly shot forward, oddly reminding Nero of rocketing hermits.

Nero pulled out his Blue Rose and shot at the incoming missiles. The shells tumbled to the dirt. They twitched, then cracked open like thin eggshells. Inside each egg was the disgusting smelly muck along with hideous baby versions of the tower they fought against. The hatchlings stretched and screeched in freedom. These darling little creatures had claws. Many of them on each appendage. Five of the beasts wailed, the high-pitches scraping Nero's eardrums.

Great, them and the big guy to deal with too. The anticipating Nero grinned. "Oh yeah, this is livin'!"

A newborn, driven by instinct, escaped its cocoon of shell. It swiped a claw at Nero.

"Kick booty, Nero!" Kyrie's encouraging call rang out.

"You heard the lady," Nero directed to the nasty thing in front of him who wanted his eyeballs.

The creature chittered and ferociously slashed. He danced aside and seized the demon by the neck with the Devil Bringer. Flipping his feet in the air, Nero swung the beast down hard. It crashed to the ground with a yowl. A bony snap was heard and it stopped moving.

Mommy roared at Nero's unsavory treatment of her children, its mouth wide open to show off a dentist's nightmare of misshapen teeth.

Dante whipped out Pandora, transforming it into a rocket launcher. He leaped over the demon's massive arm and was about to shoot a missile down the thing's esophagus when the beast sudden changed direction toward Nero. It slapped Dante away as if he were an irritating pest.

Nero revved the handle of Red Queen. The fiend swiped a grabbing paw at him. Nero dodged it. His eyes widened when the demon's hand kept sailing and zeroed onto Kyrie.

Kyrie cried out when she saw the incoming hand reaching for her. She had no time to react when her ankle was seized. Her balance swooped from underneath her as she hit the ground hard. She couldn't do much else except kick with her free boot in the two seconds it took before the monster upended her completely.

Pint Size hung on for dear life inside Kyrie's shirt and shouted, "Heeeelp!"

"Kyrie! Hang on! Oh fu-" Nero didn't have the chance to finish yelling his curse word when a taloned appendage impaled him through the back. He yelled in shock and anger.

The beast's other arm; he had lost track of it when he saw Kyrie pulled in.

The claws jutted through the front of his chest and down to his navel. He had the odd sensation that multiple claws didn't hurt as much as the one sharp and wide sword that Agnus had gutted him with in Fortuna castle. He looked down and saw the claws and the dark red blood spurting out like beer from a spigot on a keg.

"Nero!" Kyrie screamed in horror, then yelled at the demon. "Let me go! Dammit!" She jammed her boot heel into its leathery arm to force it to release.

Blurry images processed in Nero's mind. His eyes swam.

He thought he heard his name. Dante?

A battle cry rang through the air. The skewered man gasped when the embedded object from his chest was jerked out with a wet slurping sound. Nero fell heavily to the earth, clutching his large wound. His head struck the ground.

The gargantuan roared in a mixture of pain and fury when Nero was freed. From his upside-down viewpoint on the earth, Nero squinted through labored breaths at the demon. It did have two arms but one was conveniently severed, blood spouting out from its attachment point.

Behind the creature, Dante dove to its other side as it was occupied with its missing appendage. In a swift strike he lopped off its other arm which held Kyrie captive.

Kyrie gasped at the sudden drop. Panicked, Nero struggled to sit up, but he wouldn't make it to her.

With a soft thump, Kyrie collided in Dante's arms before she hit the ground.

Kyrie's chest suddenly cheered. Hidden from view, Pint Size popped over the edge of her neckline. "We're aliiiive!"

The hatched critters demanded nourishment. Their impatient screeches made Nero shudder. Damn noise hurt his ears.

The newborns scrabbled to the nearest warm bodies, namely Dante and his save he was holding. Dante took notice and quickly set Kyrie down. He clapped his hands and moved away from her, drawing three of their attentions. He posed in what seemed like a strange attempt to make him look more tasty to them, holding out a straight arm and using the other one to show off how delicious he'd be.

The newborns bought something from his act and they scampered towards him.

Not so gullible, the remaining two demons turned to Nero. They obviously chose a downed man was more appealing to kill off than being killed themselves. One of them crept closer, a strange clacking noise emitting from the mouth. Glinting claws dug into the packed dirt with each step.

Nero felt like he was glued to the floor with the same adhesive he'd seen around in construction sites lately. His body felt sapped. The trip to dream land before had not rejuvenated him like regular sleep. With a grunt, he rolled onto his stomach but his chest gash screamed at the pressure applied to it.

He urgently needed Yamato. He lifted a fatigued arm and silently summoned the blade. Nothing happened.

_Oh, please, do I gotta unlock it with a password?_ He groaned. Dante wasn't doing bad chopping beasties on his own, but he was on his own and not with Kyrie.

Anger flared within Nero. _Damn it, c'mon out!_

The enemy who stayed behind took notice of Kyrie's unattended self and chose to make its next feast out of her instead of Nero. It whirled back around and started after her.

"Hey!" Nero struggled to fling his Devil Bringer out. He managed to extend the elongated claw, but it didn't grab at all due to his weakness.

The demon startled and glared behind at him, but it quickly ignored Nero and snapped its claws together frenetically at Kyrie. She moved backwards anxiously.

A sick, guttural noise rose from the creature's vocal cords. Nero understood it was laughing at how easy a kill it was going to achieve.

Not if he had anything to do about it! Fury boiled to agony at his inability to call out Yamato. The katana had been absorbed into him, right? It was supposed to be a part of him! Nero concentrated as much as he could muster. Panic was rising sharply but he forced his mind to shut up.

_Please, this power! _his mind screamed desperately.

Nero's Devil Bringer emitted a gauzy purple glow and Yamato materialized into it. As soon as the heft of the handle sunk into his grip, the Yamato clattered to the ground. Nero groaned. He was still reeling from the impalement of his torso. If only he hadn't fallen asleep from that wacked out flying thing! His assailant was advancing on Kyrie much too fast. Nero glanced at Dante who darted around the tall beast and its offspring.

Nero's senses were numb. Kyrie was going to die because he couldn't move his limbs to reach her. He couldn't stand the thought.

"Kyrie, get out!" he managed to grunt. Nero rose as far as one knee. He swept up the sword and eyed the back of the demon. He had one shot. Nero took aim like he was about to chuck a shotput. He the sword at his target, then sunk down.

The blade pierced through the demon's leg. An ear-splitting shriek made everyone wince.

Kyrie took her chance to move and edged away quickly. The injured demon roared and yanked out the weapon from its leg so fast, it surprised Kyrie. Her hesitation allowed her route to be blocked again as the demon jumped in her way on its uninjured leg. The sword was careless tossed away to the side, like discarded trash.

Frightened, Kyrie was glaring at the monster. She wasn't moving! Her irresolute stare was not killing it to death, much to Nero's dislike.

The enemy raised a thick blade to slice down through her collarbone. Kyrie leaped to the side at the descending swipe. She impacted hard on her stomach near Yamato. The wind knocked out of her and she struggled to breathe. Pint Size yelled as he tumbled out her shirtfront. He scrabbled to get away from all the action.

Nero groaned as he forced himself to sit up, to _move_. Why the hell did he feel so slow all of a sudden?

Kyrie lay there for an agonizingly long couple seconds on her front, not moving, not _escaping_.

Her fingers reached out to grasp the sword handle. Kyrie clamored to her feet, holding the weapon with both hands wrapped around its slender hilt. Her eyebrows knitted together when she paused to focus on the beast, as though thinking of how to cut effectively. Her arms tremored as she stared down the snarling demon.

The agile beast spun to face her, mad eyes flashing in hunger. It howled a long and high wail. Kyrie's hands jittered further at the piercing sound.

The livid demon leapt at Kyrie, elongated teeth snapping. She yelled and swung a horizontal slice hard. The whistling metal edge whipped through the air. The blade severed the demon clean in half. The momentum of her swing made her stumble forward, but she stayed on her feet. Blood sprayed over her clothes and the ground as the demon's upper body thumped and rolled past her from its forward trajectory.

Breathless shock had Kyrie simply stand there and stare at the crimson-covered sword and the pooled mess at her feet.

Nero couldn't help but weakly grin in pride. Where did she learn how to do that?

As he reveled in her shining moment of ass-kicking, she was kneeling in front of him. She placed the sword down in his hand's reach. Her faced flushed from adrenaline, she was breathing hard.

Nero pushed himself up on his elbows. He felt sluggish as hell, but he was getting up which was important. "You rocked!"

Kyrie grinned shakily in return. "Do you think I've never watched you before?"

"Many times, I take it?" Despite the burning from his stab wound, he raised a flirtatious brow at her. Her reddened face deepened its color.

Nero opened his mouth to add something when a cry burst forth instead. His own Yamato drove straight down through his wrist. The blade sunk past bone so deeply it embedded in the ground. Grimacing, Nero couldn't believe the one driving the sword in him was the same one whom he was traversing this crazy cave for.

Gold danced in Kyrie's irises. Dread hammered Nero's spine when her blank stare bore in him, studying him like a pinned insect. Nero couldn't stand watching this shell of her.

Nero grunted when the offending sword yanked out. Kyrie continued to claim it. The thought of Blue Rose sprung to his mind. His fingers reached for it and touched his holster.

He then heard Kyrie ask if he was all right. Her face was concerned. Brown filled her eyes.

He didn't bother to reply since she wouldn't remember what just happened. Nero avoided answering by unsteadily standing. He needed to keep moving. His hand passed over hers with the slightest twitch as he reclaimed Yamato. The thought of her sticking it in him again made him uneasy.

"Don't forget me!" A pitifully begging voice sounded. Kyrie sighed and went to fetch Pint Size and Nero joined Dante to take on their main course.

The main course was huge and heavy, but armless and vulnerable for prime dining.

It didn't stand a chance.

Dante caught Nero's eye and gestured with a flourish to the bottom half of the demon. How nice of Dante to let him skip the steak and dive into dessert first.

Nero grinned and nodded. He readied Red Queen and ran at the big guy. Nero plundered the tip of his sword into a bulky foot. As it howled in fury, Dante adorned its other foot with Rebellion. The hulking creature was nailed to the packed earth. Another deep wail erupted and bass resounding in the cave impressed Nero. Natural subwoofers; he liked those long wavelengths.

Dante chuckled while observing the mammoth struggle against the pitons of swords. "Y'know, I always say something for great moments like this."

There was an insistent twinge in Nero's right arm. He arched his head slightly at the odd sensation. He was surprised when he found himself responding incredulously, "I think I know."

Ebony and Ivory handguns emerged from Dante's arsenal. Blue Rose was readied in Nero's hand. Why did this time feel the smallest bit nostalgic? He never fought alongside Dante before.

Both hunters leveled their guns at the demon's face, who stopped its ruckus to stare at them. Nero saw its expression drop, sensing immanent doom.

Energies sparked down the fighters' arms into their guns.

When the shots blazed forward in an astounding shower of potent lights, Nero couldn't fathom why he felt like shouting what he did with Dante's chorus.

"Jackpot!"


	7. Fighting

**Author's note: It's satisfying to bring to life a character who has three minutes of screen time.**

* * *

Chapter 7

Outputting enough smoke and pungent fumes to put a cluster of barbeque grills at a picnic to shame, the dead demon lay in a massive heap at everyone's feet. Charred and definitely dead by the test kick Nero did, he pumped his fist in exultation. Not only was the monster out of commission, but as Nero searched past it he spied an unassuming door built right into the rock wall. If doors in a cave could be considered unassuming.

Nero went to Kyrie. "Let's go, let's go," he cajoled her with a grin.

She bent over for a moment, breathing hard, before straightening. "Grand job, you two."

The woman seemed rapidly ashen which worried Nero. Sweat had beaded on her face and down her neck. Pint Size was now in her hands instead of her shirt. He looked up at her from his vantage point. "Can you make it?" Nero inquired. His chest itched from being gutted, but he knew he'd make it. He didn't know about Kyrie.

Kyrie nodded. She held her forehead when it moved. Answering his question became a struggle. Replying to questions wasn't meant to be a tussle. She staggered, and Nero closed the space to take a hold of her. Kyrie gestured for him to stop.

Nero flared but kept his tone temperate. "Hang on to me if you need to."

"I'll be fine." Kyrie spoke as if there were no brook for argument. She stared ardently at him. "Allow me to get through this myself. You and Dante got me this far. I should put up a fight on my side. I'm not holding anyone back because of-" She gritted her teeth at a shot of pain.

_She was fighting_, Nero thought in a miffed manner and he resisted the urge to reach out again. Kyrie guided them so far in this cave. She couldn't fight the dangers inside with weapons or magic and she didn't want to be a burden. Grudgingly, Nero stepped aside and pointed to the door where Dante stood in front of. Then he went ahead of her.

Dante cocked his head at Nero as he neared his side. Though Nero understood Kyrie's need to not be reliant, he irritatingly mouthed to Dante anyway. _Women._ This earned Nero a sympathetic shrug.

Once Kyrie caught up with them, Dante pushed open the door.

"What the hell is this?" Nero asked, asperity clear in his question. His austere frown could peel paint. More like rip it off. He stared around the room in disgust. The darkened room was filled with people strung up on the walls. They were bound not by shackles or ropes, but pulsing, fat veins coming out of the wall itself. Large and bruise-colored, they extended from the glowing pedestal in the center of it all. The dagger was embedded in the pedestal. A protective field glimmered around the sacred object, obviously not an invitation for outsiders.

"These poor people." Despair filled Kyrie's observation while she looked from side to side.

Nero was about to agree when otherworldly voices filled the air. The conglomerate meshed together, the words indistinguishable as they overlapped one another. As Nero strained to make out words, he understood. They cried for help, salvation, pity. The voices were few but they demanded intensely.

The voices came from the people in here, Nero realized. Their lips did not move as they spoke. What sort of sick bastard did this? Was it Sanctus who had originally created this setup?

"Nasty place," Dante said softly.

Nero heard a thud He whirled to see Kyrie sprawled on her side. She was weeping. Pint Size rolled away as he was dropped again, but he tucked his limbs in as he was prepared. When he recovered, he stared at her in concern. He seemed at a loss for words.

Nero rushed to kneel before her. "What happened?"

"Make it stop! It's hurts!" Kyrie sobbed.

"Your body?" Nero clenched his fist.

Kyrie could barely choke the words out. "Them. They all hurt. Their emotions are entering me." Kyrie wailed a short burst of hysteria. She sounded as if she were being torn in half. She clutched her head. Her proximity to the knife was driving her insane.

"We have to get these people out!" Nero called urgently to Dante.

Dante had been studying a disparate man on the wall when he heard Nero. He didn't turn to him. "It's too late for them. They don't respond."

Kyrie covered her mouth to stifle another cry. Her gaze caught Nero's. The fear in him must have been too much in his expression and she rolled away so he wouldn't see her. She gagged, gasping frenziedly for air. Listening to Kyrie's agony like her guts were ripping out of her stomach, Nero yelled heatedly at Dante, "These voices are killing her!"

"Not if they die," Kyrie responded through a wave of tears. "But I don't want that! Don't kill them."

Nero knew how hard witnessing murders was for her. When Fortuna was attacked she couldn't hide from the brutality of it. The shrieks of petrified and defenseless townspeople as horrendous monsters cut them down, the splatter of blood on cold concrete as unfeeling creatures hacked away. But she could hide here. Nero would do this much for her.

From behind her, he gingerly moved Kyrie onto his lap. She tried twisting away again.

She couldn't stand for him to see her, fine. He could do that. Kyrie mewed in confusion as her head feebly lolled back. He hid her eyes in the crook of his arm. In her weakened state she couldn't fight against his strength. Nero glanced sadly at Dante, unable to honor Kyrie's request. "If you could..."

Each inanimate was cut down by Dante's blade. As the life left each person, Kyrie jolted. Nero's hold on her tightened with each movement. Her wails intensified with the first few prisoners. When the last one was put to rest, she stilled.

"Kyrie?" Nero brushed sweaty bangs away from her eyes. Her stare was glazed, like a porcelain doll. She was still breathing, so that meant she was alive.

"The dagger, I'll get it." Dante moved to the weapon. He punched the barrier to break through it. His fist contacted the surface of the bubble, but Dante couldn't pierce it. A sparking noise filled the room. A flash emitted from the field and Dante was thrown back. He hit stone with a hard thump.

"Dante!" Nero shouted.

"Ooh, that's no good," Pint Size commented.

The downed man groaned as he sat up. "Oh, baby, don't be that way," he muttered to the dagger as if it was one of his dates. To Nero, he said, "We've got a firecracker, here."

Nero set Kyrie down, staring at the thing that would save her. "Well, it looks like our baby needs persuasion." He drew Red Queen, revving it by the throttle. If picking the dagger up wasn't successful, a strike should dislodge it. His sword blade burned deep crimson and Nero readied his arm, flinching at a spike of pain from his chest. He ignored it and launched himself at the dagger.

Red Queen whipped through the air and struck the barrier. The same crackling noise Dante triggered resonated louder Nero felt a ton of resistance. Nero flew farther behind than Dante, almost landing himself a concussion when his body slammed against the unyielding wall. The air whooshed out of his lungs. He coughed hard, dropping onto his knees. His gash immediately shrieked in protest and he grabbed it with a wheeze.

Dante sighed. "Know how to sweet talk a weapon to come willingly?"

"I do." Kyrie was the one who replied. The guys looked over at her. With supreme effort, she pushed herself up on her knees. She moved slowly to the weapon, her feet steady. Her glassy eyes remained on the field.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Dante, able to rise faster than Nero, hopped to his feet and stepped to intercept Kyrie. She mechanically pushed him aside. Dante reached out again to halt her. Nero was flabbergasted when Kyrie drove an elbow hard into his ribs, then jabbed the same elbow across his face. The hits stunned the demon hunter, both literally and figuratively. Kyrie smacking someone around? Nero could believe it.

Trying to push aside the pulsing pain in his chest, Nero cried out, "Kyrie, stop! Kyrie!" But she would not respond as she turned toward the opaque bubble surrounding the dagger. The shine of silver was accentuated by its ornate hilt. encrusted with colored engravings up its sides.

Kyrie began to hum, a lullaby of sweet low notes. The barricade, or perhaps the dagger itself, reciprocated by echoing the melody she sang. Her fingertips reached out and no electricity bit into her hand.

"This is wonderful." Golden fire danced in her eyes, a ghostly smiled spreading.

Nero wanted to yell at her to get away, but whatever she did was working. He held his tongue.

Kyrie's nails punctured the bubble, followed by fingers, then her wrist. She grasped the thin handle of the dagger. A chilling scream burst from her throat as static crackled from the blade and charged up her arm to her body.

"Crap!" Nero shouted, not caring if his guts tumbled out of his wound as he leapt onto his feet. He rushed over, but Dante's voice sharply blocked his tracks.

"Stop!" Dante bounded to his feet as well.

Staring incredulously at Dante, Nero shouted, "Get out of my way! She's-"

"-the only one who didn't get their free flight without peanuts a second ago!" Pint Size finished. "Let her be."

Dante nodded. "He's right, unfortunately."

Nero balled his fists so tightly that his nails cut into his palms. Blue light flared from his Devil Bringer. He had no choice.

Kyrie struggled to pry out the dagger from the plinth. She yanked, putting as much strength into the pull as her small frame allowed her.

The sword stubbornly freed and the field dissipated. Her screams quieted and the sparks receded from her body. Her blank gaze stared lovingly at the length of metal in her hands.

Her eyes closed. The knife clattered at her feet, but she didn't follow because Dante darted over and seized her waist as she swooped down. He felt her neck for a pulse. "She's okay."

Nero hobbled over to them and gripped the long-awaited weapon. "Got the dagger. Yeah!" Nero hefted it. It was quite heavy for such a small thing. "Now we can be rid of the Savior."

"Huh?" The puff pattered over to him and blinked in confusion. "You're using it to get rid of the Savior?"

"Yeah. Inside Kyrie there are remnants of him."

Pint Size turned his little stick feet to face the unconscious Kyrie. "That's unexpected. I thought you lot were on the Savior's side."

"What do you mean?" Nero asked with dawning suspicion.

"I could feel the Savior inside this dame. All this time I thought you guys were getting this thing to revive the Savior." The puff glared at Nero. "But you tricked me!"

The puff changed from adorable to atrocious. It puffed itself out and expanded to the size of a soccer ball. Its stick appendages elongated to spiny ones. The cutesy innocent eyes stretched to triangular shapes.

"Ha! The cute act was a fake!" Nero crowed.

"Fake? I _am_ cute- ah!" Pint Size yelled when he saw Nero rev Red Queen on his back. The demon held up its arms in surrender. "I didn't do anything!"

"You're with the Savior." Nero lifted his sword above his head to slash down.

"O-o-okay, s-so I'm with him. I was! B-but I can't do anything. Unless sleeping counts!" Pint Size scrambled to placate the increasingly miffed Nero.

Nero fumed. "You came with us. You could've called up everything that came after us in here!" At the angering revelation, Nero's demonic arm flung out and choked Pint Size. "You did, didn't you?!"

"N-no!" Pint Size gurgled. "I really was bored! Newcomers never come in here."

"And that was reason enough to put us through hell?" The squeezing hand suffocated Pint Size tighter. His eyes bugged out. Nero raged; he should've killed the conniving demon right at the start. Heat seared through his Devil Bringer.

Pint Size's thin arms spiraled erratically as his oxygen supply was running low. "I said I didn't do anything! Ooh, I didn't do anything to the dame, right? Right! That means something!"

Nero let go of the begging demon at the same time he stepped away to remove the charged Red Queen from his back. The fiery blade of Red Queen descended. Pint Size squeezed its eyes shut. He jumped at a clang of metal. He opened an eye to see the blade rooted next to it.

Nero regarded him wearily. "You've got that going for you." He got what he came for. No need to add senseless murder to the list. Nero yanked the blade out of the ground and sheathed his sword on his back. His pulsing arm slowed its glow. Triumph infused him as he went to Dante. At last, they got the dagger.

Unholstering Blue Rose, Nero glanced behind him and aimed. A blast rang out and a sputtering shriek erupted from Pint Size as he grabbed one of his pitifully thin arms. Nero felt much better; he didn't kill, just as he intended. The bleeding would eventually stop.

At Dante's side, Nero nodded at Kyrie who's arm Dante had slung over his shoulder. "Can you carry her? I'm not feeling so hot."

"No doubt," Dante noted as he accepted Kyrie in his hold. "Some parts are missing. Is that a piece of intestine?" Dante jutted his chin out to Nero's stomach. Nero actually looked down to check and Dante laughed.


	8. Intoxication

**Author's note: One of my more favored chapters to write with its mix of humor and drama. **

* * *

Chapter 8

Nero was glad to be back on home terrain. He was doubly relieved that everyone made it. Night had blanketed the sky with darkness. At the castle town, Nero found one of the residential nurses and made sure Kyrie was tended to with an authoritative command. He felt better that something went his way today as Kyrie was led away.

He thought it was rude to send Dante home after the aid he provided, so Nero invited him to stay in Fortuna overnight.

Dante, appearing tired, was happy for the invite. "Where's the cheapest hotel here?"

Nero considered the options, then suggested, "I've got a room you can crash in. Screw the hotel."

"You want me to stay with you in your room?" Dante grinned.

Remembering Dante's big tease when he arrived in Fortuna, Nero rolled his eyes. With much dramatics, he uttered, "Yes, I can't stand when you're away from me. I admit it!"

"Oh, darling!" Dante made as if to hug a lover he had been forever denied from.

"Stay away or you're paying for the privilege of occupying my space," Nero warned with a jab of his finger.

"Free?" Dante's eyes lit up. "Well, why didn't you say so earlier?"

Nero patted him on the shoulder with a smirk. "Because your hormones were too busy hitting on me to let your brain take over." He rubbed the back of his own neck. "The castle was busted up pretty badly but there are some quarters which weren't demolished and are livable. My new room isn't bad. The bathroom and what could be called a kitchen are a little bigger than my old ones."

"Lucky you."

"And Kyrie. She's staying at the castle, too."

"You and Kyrie? Togetheeer?" Dante asked in a sing-song rhythm that Nero had always despised.

"We have separate rooms, dingbat." Nero warmed at Dante's inflection. As predicted, Nero needed to clean up and he said, "You coming?"

Dante flicked a thumbs-up over his shoulder. "In a while. I wanna scope out the area."

Nero gave him directions in case he wanted to return early. He made his way to his room. He yawned on the way there.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kyrie poked her head out her bedroom door and peeked right and left down its long hallway. The coast was clear. She stepped out and silently closed the door behind her, expecting the reprimand of the nurse to sound out of nowhere. When Kyrie was greeted with silence, she let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. She had awakened earlier and left her room, tiptoeing to the stairs at the far end of the hall before being caught and sent back to her room.

_Patience paid off_, she now congratulated to herself with a quick grin. The nurse, while a kind woman near her age, simply wouldn't leave. Kyrie had conversed amicably in hopes to be free to go, but no luck. The nurse had stepped out which was when Kyrie tried to escape, but this attempt was botched. Nero must have done some convincing work to have what was essentially a bodyguard in her room.

Tired, Kyrie gave in and dozed for an hour or so. When she woke, the nurse entered her room to check up, _still _keeping watch over her. From her explanation, Kyrie was to rest all night.

Frustrated, Kyrie soon resorted to feigning sleep for what felt like long hours in order to convince the lady that she was indeed, resting following Nero's strict demand. Upon hearing the bedroom door close softly, Kyrie peeked through half eyelids and saw nobody in her room. Time was not so cruel to prove her impatience wrong when Kyrie located her bedside clock. Really, only about half an hour had gone by. Maybe the nurse had grown bored.

Free from bed rest, Kyrie continued her sneaky route to her destination: Nero's room. She didn't get the chance to properly thank him for all the trials he and Dante went through to retrieve the dagger. The need to say something itched something fierce and as best as she wanted to ignore it, her thoughts kept prodding her when she faked sleep.

The castle was spacious and the hallways were a sneaking girl's nightmare. The room Nero occupied was down a floor and around the corner past the aforementioned stairwell. Kyrie slipped out of the room. She carefully traveled down to her destination.

In front of Nero's door, she lifted a knuckle to knock on the wood but the faint sound of running water paused her. Nero was likely patching his wounds up. The water was loud and he wouldn't hear her knock over the noise. She had to wait... again.

Kyrie wasn't going to backtrack to her room after the effort it took to get here, so she did the next logical thing and sat right against the door. Minutes ticked by and she started to feel foolish sitting in an empty hallway. Looking busy wasn't the easiest thing to do when there was nothing to keep her occupied.

To alleviate her boredom, she pressed her ear against the wood. Above the rush of water she thought she heard talking. The radio? She strained to hear better. That could be entertaining. The continuing waterfall met her ears and nothing else. She slumped in disappointment. Darn, she thought she had something interesting.

The noise happened again and she perked. What was it? As Kyrie tried to comprehend what she heard, she finally got it. Nero was humming. He was humming the tune she sang at the Festival of the Blade, at a much lower octave than the original song. She smiled, enchanted. It was intriguing to hear someone else sing the melody of hers, especially when the someone was Nero whom she never heard it from. He always belted random lyrics to his rock songs which cranked out of his slick headphones.

Her cheeks warmed. She liked listening to him. She knew he wouldn't ever release his vocal harmonies so uninhibited otherwise.

Too soon, the melody completed as the tap turned off with a squeak. The castle was showing signs of age, all right. Her sink taps whined the same way. Past the door, there was shuffling. With no more humming to keep her attention, Kyrie moved her ear off the door. Almost time to knock.

She covered her mouth at a wracking stab at the back of her head. A convulsion constricted her throat. Kyrie drew her knees up to her chest and buried her forehead in her knees, praying she wouldn't alert Nero inside with her voice. He shouldn't see this.

Tired footfalls from inside grew louder as Nero entered the main area close to the door. Kyrie implored for the pain to go away so she could tell him what she wanted. Erasing the worry from his eyes whenever he saw her was her wish. Although, after the fight against Sanctus, Nero left traces of his worry more frequently. Covert glances and extra advice when she went on an outing alone. These were signs of his attentiveness.

Kyrie's head ceased its jackhammer pounding. Her breathing calmed and she could lift it. She unsteadily rose to her feet and brushed the seat of her dress. As she composed herself to normal, she heard Nero shuffle again, putting down a clump of objects. His steps were measured and flighty as he sounded like he was moving objects to a number of predetermined spots. Then the unerring pattern changed at a turn, growing heavier. Kyrie automatically ran her fingers through her bangs as the deadbolt clicked. The door opened.

Nero, damp hair and shirtless, did a double-take at spotting Kyrie. "What the-? You're supposed to be in bed."

Kyrie waved at him regardless of his brash greeting. She barely prevented herself from double-taking too. "Nice to see you."

His blue eyes evaded as apology. "Hi, Kyrie. Care to come inside?" He stepped aside to let her enter.

The sitting area was a disorganized jumble. Past a small wall where Kyrie couldn't see, she bet the kitchen wouldn't fare any better. A stack of soundtracks of edgy rock music sat on the coffee table, complimented by the CD player and puffy headphones next to them. Clothes were tossed on the couch as if his closet exploded the articles there. When Kyrie raised a noticeable brow, Nero grinned innocently. She knew he was a messy guy and he knew she wouldn't bark reprimands at him. Mostly.

Nero gingerly winced from the elongated gash at his torso when he bent over to pick up a shirt lying across the arm of a chair. Nero's injury wasn't fully healed yet. Kyrie promptly went to his side, preventing him from slipping on his shirt. "Let me help patch you up."

"I'm fine," he insisted. "I heal fast. It'll be gone by tomorrow. Demon advantage, remember?" He heartily thumped his chest without any facial change, as if that was supposed to convince her.

"Let me help!" Kyrie repeated loudly, her voice a little sharper than she intended. She cast her eyes down and silenced. Nero wasn't lying at all. There wasn't anything she could do for him.

Nero watched her face for a long moment. He wordlessly moved away and around the wall to the kitchen. A cupboard opened. Returning, he pried out a pack of gauze from a medical box and gave it to her.

Kyrie was grateful for letting her do this. She took the gauze and expectantly reached for the roll of bandage Nero took out. "Hold still."

When Kyrie finished, her line of vision saw a flat paper strewn on the table past him. She reached for it but Nero snatched it. He switched hands to keep it away from her.

She slid behind him and slipped her arms around his shoulders. "Gotcha," she murmured in his ear.

Nero chuckled. "Yes, but not the prize." He jiggled the sheet.

Kyrie stretched for it and Nero danced it farther from her grasp. She let her arm relax, her upper body deflating to hang over him like drooping willow tree vines.

Kyrie reveled in the heat beneath her cheek when she rested it on his shoulder. Her eyes flicked over his vanilla skin where it melded into his demon arm. It was grafted at the top of his shoulder. She traced down his rust and blue arm from the shoulder, down to his clawed fingertips. The rough skin crevassed when her fingertips sank into its recesses where blue light emitted.

Nero shifted in embarrassment at the attention she was placing on his special appendage. He stepped away to loosen her hold, but Kyrie pressed her hand on his forearm to stay him.

"Don't run from me," her whisper soothed.

Nero tilted his nose to lightly bump hers. His mouth searched for her lips and met. Kyrie felt the burn of his blush on her face.

So into the kiss, Nero didn't pay attention to Kyrie's creeping fingers toward the paper in his other hand until it was too late. Victoriously, Kyrie held the paper in front of them. Nero obviously didn't care anymore when he pecked along her jaw in an effort to distract her.

"Hey, I want to see this." She giggled at the tickling, trying to focus past his silver hair which blocked her view. Blank space filled the page but she made out darker outlines from the opposite side.

"I'm better," he retorted pridefully.

He brushed an especially sensitive spot right behind her ear and she almost dropped the paper. "Ne-ro! I'll rip this..."

Kyrie's threat was enough for Nero to desist. He raised an eyebrow. "You'd tear up a wonderful gift?"

"Gift?" Unusual that he would receive a present like this. Kyrie flipped the paper and chuckled. Meticulously drawn streaks of crayon created a portrait of Nero. Squinting eyes and a floppy mouth looked up happily at Kyrie. His Devil Bringer was raised in the air.

"I helped a family empty their home for a move. Carrying heavy things to their car, y'know." Nero nodded his chin at the doodle. "The son gave me it as thanks."

"I like the eyes," Kyrie complimented. "They have your serious look." She narrowed her eyes in an imitation of him and she probably looked very silly because he chortled.

"How about the stunning mouth?" Nero moved in for another pucker, but Kyrie placed a palm over said riveting object as she continued to study the artistic image.

The demonic arm in the artwork shined with vivacity. Kyrie removed her hand from Nero's lips and tapped the sheet. "I like this best."

A moody cloud hung over Nero's head as he frowned at the scribble. "Well, not me. He thought it was something cool. Something a superhero asked to get. Go through a big adventure to get the greatest superpower ever. Like I had a choice." His tone dripped bitterness.

"Nero." Kyrie held up the picture in front of her chest for him to see completely. "You hate your arm but someone appreciated it. When I think, it's not only one person. Many people who are strangers to you. The citizens you saved to name a large group. You have their appreciation."

The stubborn man didn't seem convinced.

Nero's long navy coat was lazily thrown across the couch next to the chair, along with his torn vest. Kyrie switched the art for them and picked them up, lamenting the hole in the vest and the damp blood. She liked the thick yellow stitching on this piece. What a shame to see part of the embroidery destroyed. She wiped away the excess blood and the redness spread onto her fingers. She hoped the blood didn't set in the fabric permanently.

"Did I thank you yet?" Kyrie said suddenly.

Nero cautiously eyed her when she peered at him over her shoulder.

She chuckled lightly. "For your help in this adventure in the cave."

He shied away from her sudden amorous smile. "U-um, there's no need."

Kyrie laughed and put down the clothes. "Sure there is. There's..." She closed in on him and nipped at his earlobe.

Nero jerked at the unusual sharpness of her bite. A partial protest escaped his throat which was between a groan and a word. Her forwardness was enticing but he shifted anxiously. "We shouldn't. Dante is supposed to come here."

"So?" She bit again, much harder. Her hot breath blew at his cheek. Kyrie's heart throbbed strangely. She felt detached from her flirtations. Maybe she did need to rest. But she was starting to have fun.

Startled at her aggressiveness, Nero informed her nervously, "We're not a show."

"Oh, it's not that explicit," Kyrie teased him. Her stained fingers absently reached up and placed between her lips. Her eyes closed in delight. "Dante wouldn't be scarred for life at seeing us kiss."

Nero lost all shyness and gripped her wrist in alarm. "What are you doing?"

"Hmm?" Kyrie peered inquiringly at him. She licked her faintly copper-tanged lips. He looked sick for some reason Kyrie didn't comprehend. Did the topic of Dante bother Nero more than usual tonight? She was confused. If Nero really didn't want Dante barging in during their intimate moment together, she could wait.

Nero pulled her hand back and she stared at the missing blood from it. The sight finally registered something in her brain. She gasped as the truth struck her. She wiped her mouth in disgust. She didn't even realize her actions were out of her control! She couldn't catch her breath then.

Nero was staring hard at her in a mixture of repulsion and alarm Kyrie could tell he was fighting to contain.

She broke free from his grasp and ran out. She hated the way he regarded her.

Kyrie made it just outside the door when Nero seized her from behind. His fierce hold began to hurt. "Kyrie, wait."

"Let me go!"

Nero pulled her thrashing body against him and walked backwards through the door.

"Nero, unhand me right now!" Hysteria clamped its fangs in her chest, tight and tense. She was going to kill him and she wouldn't know it! She had to get away from him.

Nero kicked his door shut. "Not happening." His voice rumbled against her ear.

"Are you stupid? Why don't you listen? I'll attack you! You're so idiotic!" Kyrie kept squirming despite the sting beneath his crushing hold. Kyrie never insulted people but she ferociously did so now. She forced herself not to blubber and she floundered against his vice grip. A heart attack. She was going to have one because her heart thudded so hard it was about to burst.

He said her name. Kept repeating it, steadier and steadier until she finally stopped wrestling against him.

"I'm a stupid guy, yes I am."

"Nero!"

"It's not you."

"It is!"

The intense shine of his Devil Bringer snapped Kyrie's gaze to it. The entire length of it locked around her upper body, flaring like a live electrocuting wire. She was frightened of herself, for him, for anyone she'd see from this minute on. What if she assaulted someone without her knowledge? "I'll hurt people. Take their lives."

"It won't happen." The conviction in his answer stunned her. Why did he believe in her so much?

A sob stuck in her throat. "You saw me. You just saw what happened!" Kyrie wanted to get away from Nero to the farthest side of the planet if it kept him safe from whatever parasite infested inside her. "Kill me. Now-"

"No." Nero wouldn't allow her sentence to complete.

"You're making a mistake-"

"_No_," Nero growled with such viciousness that Kyrie's rebuttal died in her throat.

"You're like me." Nero stated this quietly.

"What?"

"My arm. When I had the transplant. The first couple days I was getting used to it, I thought I heard a voice. Maybe it was me going crazy because of shock or somethin'." Kyrie stilled at his confession. Seeing her docile state, Nero's grip lessened. "The same thing is going on with you. It's gotta be some weird effect from these Savior fragments inside you."

Kyrie immediately spun out of his embrace when she felt his hug loosen. He was nothing like her. He hadn't done things by himself without his consent. "Liar! You've been yourself always. Leave me alone!" Tears broke out and she flung open the door.

When she fled, Nero did not follow.


	9. Happy Hour

**Author's note: There's always gotta be a chapter like this.  
**

* * *

Chapter 9

"Another one, please." Nero slid a drained shot glass across the bar counter to the female bartender who eyed with him the air of someone who knew she'd have herself a long-sitting customer tonight. The woman was polite enough, but her dark eyes were vigilant and meant for keeping watch for troublemakers. With his strange arm, it was understandable that Nero could seem like such a person. Still, upon his request, she smiled at his courtesy. Nero doubted many drunkards had enough cognitive clarity to say "please" when asking for another shot.

Nero had mulled over his pleasantly soured conversation with Kyrie before he chose to haul his ass out of his room for some fresh air. He traded in the mildly stuffy air of his place for the equally cloying, alcohol-ridden atmosphere of Black Whiskey, one of the few decent bars in Fortuna. It was a well-established tavern. Fights did not break out here often which was a plus when he was moody. If one broke out now, he would not hesitate to join in the fisticuffs action and beat the bloody pulp out of whoever started a racket. It didn't matter who the guilty party was; he'd beat heads without question.

"Oh, drowning your sorrows, are you?" came a question from an overly loud jocular male to Nero's right.

"And you, old man? Pull up a stool and grab one too," Nero retorted to Dante as his whiskey glass refilled. He was not hammered enough yet to not insult his friend.

"I'll have something. A strawberry sundae, please," Dante requested from the bartender, looking expectantly to be disappointed. He must ask for this a lot.

Fortuna was a versatile town with many old customs, as well as the willingness to embrace new ideas. This kind of request in a bar was not far-fetched to Nero's ears, so Dante seemed very surprised when the barkeep simply responded, "Will that be with extra whipped cream, sir?"

Dante eyed the lady behind the counter as though she were egging him on. "Uh, can I get an extra helping of strawberries instead of the cream?"

"Certainly. There will be an additional fee."

Glee suffused Dante's face regardless of the cost. "Bring it on!" Dante nudged Nero with an elbow. "This bar is awesome."

Nero was losing himself in the musky brown of his liquor. "Mmm-hmm, that's why all the kiddies come here. To enjoy the desserts."

In spite of the banter, Dante watched Nero with concern. "You all right? I haven't seen you drunk so I can't tell if you're already under the influence or not."

Maybe getting stinking drunk would be a good option. Frustration at not understanding Kyrie and the ordeals she was going through made Nero want to slam back enough intoxicating liquid to knock himself out in hopes that when he awoke everything would be a horrible nightmare.

A strawberry balanced at the end of a spoon wiggled under his nose and Nero glanced up from his glass to Dante who was extending the fruit from his sundae. Successful at capturing Nero's attention, Dante popped the slice in his mouth. "How is Kyrie?"

Nero sipped his drink.

Dante got the hint and busied himself by spooning another gob down his eager craw. Nero appreciated him not pushing the topic.

The silence between them was interrupted by a swarthy man whom deodorant would be of great importance to his hygiene as he lumbered up to the counter on Nero's opposite side.

"I wan' 'nother drink." His slurred speech and tipsy walking pattern made Nero infinitely glad for his demon tolerance for liquor. He'd have to drink a damn lot to get smashed. Possibly a whole barrel. Possibly two to get a horrible hangover. If he wanted that. Currently, Nero still had his sobriety and the choice.

The bartender stopped rubbing dry the glass she was holding, flipped it up and filled it with frothy beer from the tap. She placed it solidly in front of the man. He picked up the mug, unsteadily turned wide, and bumped Nero's side. The liquid missed Nero and sloshed on the counter and over the edge down to the hard floor. Poor beer.

"Damn, now look 't what you've done!" The man yelled.

Nero glared at him. "I didn't do anything. It's your clumsy butt that caused your accident."

"Wuz that you say?" the man demanded, setting the stein on the counter.

As though the man were hard of hearing, Nero punctuated his next words. "I said your drunken butt hit me. Like I'd want to go near you. Did you swim in a dumpster today?"

The next thing Nero knew, the lout grabbed the collar of his coat and his sober behind was yanked off his high stool.

"I'll take you on!"

"Think you can do that?" Blue light rayed from Nero's right arm as he frowned severely.

"You don't get away with ruining my beer!" the tipsy man retorted loudly, letting Nero go and raising his arms, totally not comprehending the extent of danger the demon possessed. He swung a meaty hand at Nero.

The victim --if he could be labeled as one with his supernatural edge-- caught the punch and twisted the man's arm away. The drunk cried out in pain. He lunged at Nero again, but slipped on the wet beer puddle. His hands seized the front of Nero's coat in an attempt to stop his fall.

The jolt of movement dislodged the dagger from the inner folds of Nero's coat and the metal clattered to the floor. Nero dipped to retrieve it, but the man was closer to it and scooped it up first.

Intricate carvings along the handle made the man stare at it. "Whoa, this is worth a load o' money!"

"Give it back." Nero was not going to lose his only chance of saving Kyrie.

"This'll make up for the beer." A brutish grin plastered on the guy's face.

The Devil Bringer shot out and dug its claws around the sides of the man's face. Terrified, the drunk waved the dagger to cut Nero in order to free himself. Nero lifted his heel to slam into the dumbass's gut when ebony smoke plumed from the dagger. The sharp instrument clattered to the floor. The dark cloud became a snarling wolf the size of Blue Rose. The petiteness of the animal did not overshadow the savage bloodlust of the hound.

"Oh my god!" The drunk landed on his rump when the weapon changed form.

_"Naturally, the dagger must remain as is."_

The homunculus' words rushed back in Nero's mind. This dagger was screwy, all right. He'd figured out how in a minute. He glared at the wolf with an equally impenetrable hate, then his demeanor changed entirely to congeniality when he clapped his hands like he was calling over a puppy. "You're a good guy, aren't 'cha?" he cooed in a nauseatingly cute voice he'd dare never use on any living, communicating person. Not even Kyrie. No matter how much she begged.

He kneeled and patted his thighs to taunt the wolf to take a bite out of him. "Ya wanna play?"

Rabid Wolfy tilted its head at his words. Confusion was the best Nero could hope for coming from it. The wolf bounded at him. Nero hopped back but remembered Dante's stool was in his line of movement. Nero felt the smack of chrome against his legs. The wolf knocked him down and howled fiercely in his face. Nero expected razor teeth to gnaw on him and the thought of snapping its jaw entertained his mind.

The wolf threw its heavy bulk right on top of his chest and he grunted at the weight. He grimaced at the sharp paws that dug in his almost healed wound.

The wolf dipped its head. Not taking any chances, Nero clamped its jaws shut. There was another whine, muffled by Nero's hand. Upon this very close view, he thought the canine was kind of cute when its teeth weren't attempting to crush his larynx.

A struggle against his confining hand persisted. A powerful jerk freed the wolf's jaws from the hold. Nero knew he was screwed.

His eyes involuntarily squeezed shut, not caring to witness this beast chomping on him. Instead of piercing teeth ripping into his skin, a cold nose rubbed against his chin. Nero immediately opened his eyes, mystified. A content whine came from the happy hound.

The black smoke from earlier surrounded the furry beast again. The wolf dissipated in the haze. Nero was left clutching the dagger. Nero lay there a moment longer to intake air and allow his chest to deflate.

Clapping started to surround him. He raised his head. Patrons were cheering and catcalling, telling him what a show he put on. Unreal!

Nero rose to his feet and brushed himself off. Dante clapped along with the crowd. "Jolly performance!"

"Some show where the main attraction almost devours me." Nero stowed the weapon in his coat safely, wondering exactly how it changed the way it did.

The fallen man was a bumbling wreck and hurried to his feet. He began to sputter words, maybe an insult, but decided to play it safe and get away from the man.

"My sundae's gone. Let's go," Dante said. No arguments, there.

Outdoors to the warm evening, the tang of sea air enveloped Nero's nose. Port Caerula was nearby.

"Hey, kid." Dante came over and stopped uncomfortably close. He seemed determined to find out something.

"Yeah?" Nero pretended to be oblivious by focusing on the passing streetlamps.

"You've got the dagger. Praise and good tidings." Dante leaned in, focusing his hard gaze in Nero's eyes. "What's it for?"

"T- to save Kyrie." Ever since he heard the shocking news of what needed to be done to save her, Nero hadn't thought of the actual deed of plunging the dagger in her heart. His eyes faltered.

Dante stepped right in front of Nero, stopping him. "Don't think I didn't notice the lethality of such a weapon."

Nero had naught to say to this.

"You explained the why, when and how of acquiring the dagger to us. But you left out the 'what' from 'what to do' when you told us about it." When Nero remained silent, Dante gradually pulled away, sensing his need for space. "It's not something easy for you, is it?"

Nero was afraid to voice it, to make the situation real. Everything up to now seemed like a trodden dream.

"You'll need to tell her, so you may as well practice on me." Dante did not sound sarcastic.

Here he went. Nero raised his vision to Dante. He kept his response steady even though his insides quaked. "I have to kill her with the dagger. Doing it will purge the leftover Savior shit from her. She should back to normal afterward. There's an equal chance of a good or bad outcome."

Dante paused, contemplating. "_You_ have to do it? Can it be done by anyone?"

"I won't let anyone else do it." The declaration was unequivocal, obstinate. This much Nero knew with utmost clarity. He wasn't going to allow another soul to desecrate Kyrie. She also wouldn't be left to her horror to kill herself. It would be too cruel.

"Tonight?"

"Tomorrow." Nero needed to gather his wits. He was also tremendously fatigued. There was no way he was going to miss his mark because of a lack of sleep. There was also the matter of the transforming dagger and what the hell that was all about. Nero also wanted to pick something extra up for Kyrie in the morning when the shop opened for the day. Besides, she needed strength, too.


	10. Playtime

**Author's note: What's a Kyrie and Nero fic without, well, them?**

* * *

Chapter 10

Numbly drifting from area to area, Nero found himself observing the nightlife in the business district. There weren't many people browsing through shops tonight, even with extended hours. Dante had been captivated by a vivacious vixen and Nero left him be. Dante knew where he lived.

Up ahead almost half a block down, Nero saw the worn brass-handled door of Fortutoys pull open. Kyrie stepped out onto the sidewalk and closed the door behind her. Compared to the blood-soaked clothes from their battle, her attire, while simple, was deemed angelic status. A one-piece dress, thin straps curving over her shoulders. Bare arms, the smooth crevice at her chest, the clinging fabric at her waist; oh yes, she was so damn easy on the eyes. Nero bit his lip at his quickened breath. He couldn't be thinking lewdly like this when there were more important issues. But she was here and she was healthy and everything was a normal, blissful, carefree evening.

Except none of it was true. And Nero knew it. He also knew the outcome of this ritual was ambiguous. Thinking of one result felt wrong because the other was just as likely to happen.

He continued his surveillance, chopping away his moody thoughts and returning to explicit gawking as any hot-blooded man would. He hesitated when he moved to approach. Kyrie held a paper bag filled with purchased pleasures, no doubt something cute and tiny. The shop specialized in miniature delights for girls. It was a favorite of hers.

Kyrie opened her bag and rummaged around for something. She was smiling slightly. Her gold necklace fell in clear view on her chest when Nero saw the chain gleam. His heartbeat picked up again when his eyes followed up her neckline and saw the tight gauzy fabric of her dress wrapped around her shapely form. The heat in the weather sure could have its advantages and girly dresses on her were most certainly one.

Suddenly not wanting to disturb her gamine expression by popping up, Nero sidestepped behind a tall van. Peering through the grimy, dirt-crusted windshield he saw Kyrie take out a gigantic lollypop. It had a colored swirl in the middle. Shaking her head at the treat, she seemed to think it was childish. Or maybe she was resisting the urge to eat the whole thing. It was probably a gift for being such a regular shopper.

Nero skirted around the van on her opposite side as Kyrie continued walking in his direction. She passed the van, staring at the sugar treat.

Because it was more interesting than puttering around aimlessly, Nero discreetly trailed behind her. Kyrie's ponytail bobbed with her steps. Nero kept pace and stayed hidden by stepping around lampposts and moving people. His position was almost discovered when Kyrie unexpectedly turned to a young couple who passed her. She offered them her snack, telling them how it would bring them closer together than they were. Her joke elicited chuckles and a thank you.

Kyrie continued on home, Nero deduced. Nero mentally congratulated himself on doing an admirable job of tailing for the ten or so minutes the trip took. Kyrie arrived at the archway leading to the castle and she stopped so abruptly on the sidewalk that Nero nearly crashed into a fire hydrant he was dodging. "Nero, would you mind not being a tracking dog?" she said without facing him.

"No Nero here, woof, woof." He was surprised she guessed he was following her. He was quite far when Kyrie caught on, still about the half block away he had began with. Or he was until he chose to hurry up and almost careened over the hydrant. Still, by sneaking up on her in the past Kyrie rarely saw him coming unless he made himself obvious.

Kyrie turned as he strolled up. When she saw him, she nodded a greeting. "Why doggy, are you lost?"

They continued to walk side by side. Nero stuck his hands in his pockets. "Bark, bark, I gotta find my way home. Can you help a poor mutt out?"

"Of course," she played along. "Where's your owner?"

"Out in the wild, I guess. Where I should be. Bark."

"Poor you."

They went on in silence, and it was comfortable.

The stop was in front of her door. There was no point for Nero to stay angry at Kyrie. The emotion felt useless now. He had to concentrate on tonight. "How did you know I was behind you?"

"My heart sings to me." Discomfort crossed her expression and Nero then understood: his presence was a lighthouse at pitch black sea to the Savior fragments inside her. She'd sense if he was around.

"Come on in. I'll make you the best cup of tea." She perked up, keyed and opened the door to her sitting area.

Nero followed after her and caught the lingering aroma of something floral as he entered. Potpourri? He glanced around at the neatness everywhere. In other words, floors not strewn with random items of the day as Nero tended to drop on his. Fallen pants were always a hazard. "Why is it the best?"

"Because you'll tell me," Kyrie teased lightly, as if the answer were obvious. She motioned to a chair on her way to the tiny counter that was the kitchen, dropping her purchase on the living room table. Nero opted to wander around, checking out the female touches of things: a potted vase of flowers, thumbnail-size trinkets which lined a shelf of literature.

What did girls see in these tiny things? Customizing weapons, now that had its uses. Who didn't love the intricacies of finding the right weight for a blade which was light enough to wield easily and yet durable to slice through hell beasts in battle? Searching for the perfect engravings on said blade was customization, all right. Nero sighed dreamily just thinking of his personalized Red Queen and its wicked enhancements.

Nero reached out to poke a charm of some sort but retracted his finger. Kyrie would probably throw steaming tea on his head if he broke something so precious and darling.

He mutely strolled over behind Kyrie and stooped down beside her right hip. He waited for her to notice his strange vantage point. When she startled from spotting his unexpected position far below, Nero smirked. Bingo. She might be able to tell he was around, but not pinpoint exactly where. That was a demon hunter's forte.

Kyrie playfully batted him. She appeared to be in a cheerier mood. "Please take out the cookies from the cupboard, won't you? It's to your right. No need to stand."

Nero pivoted to the low cupboard Kyrie indicated and opened it. And stared. There were four packages of cookies among a plethora of other snacks. "Whoa, there's a warehouse!"

Kyrie blushed at his comment. "I get cravings. I can't stick to one type of cookie. I think you can catch the pattern."

He reached in and pulled out a random box. As soon as it was removed, a spring-loaded fuzzy ball from the depths of the darkness careened at his forehead and bounced off. He blinked, dumbfounded. He turned to Kyrie, who placed a hand over her giggling mouth. "What is this, attack Nero day?"

"Oh, I forgot about that. It's a deterrent gadget I installed last time I had cookies. I ate too many and wanted to stay off them. The ball was to remind me." She pointed at the rolling ball on the floor for Nero to see her logic and not grow miffed.

He saw it, but wasn't going to gracefully accept it. Nero straightened and set down the snack on the counter. He eyed her and bared his teeth good-naturedly, lifting his hands to seem like he was about to pounce. "I'll get you!"

Kyrie dodged his grab, swept low and scooped the ball in her hand. When her toss rebounded off Nero's forehead again, rapid victory infused her expression, then it fell when Nero made another face. A face to be reckoned with.

Kyrie broke off in a jog but Nero's long strides overtook hers. From behind Kyrie, he slipped his arm around her waist, spun her around to face him, then hefted her over his shoulder like a sack of rice.

"Hey, this isn't fair!" Kyrie protested. Nero felt a bump on his back from her fists.

Nero began to move, trotting a path around the couch in the sitting area. Kyrie shook with each bouncing step. She pushed her hands against his shoulder blades. "Put me down!"

"Why?"

"This is undignified behavior!"

Nero placed her back on her feet. "Oh yeah? How's this?" Before relief could finish passing her face, his demon hand stretched and latched on the ball. It whizzed at her. The toy smacked squarely on her forehead.

Kyrie touched the spot. "No cookies for you, mister!"

"You mean none for _you_." Nero beamed.

Kyrie pouted. Her plan worked, sort of. "Okay, that's right. Fine." She passed him to fetch the tea and cookies from the kitchen. She piled everything onto a tray, returned and placed the tray on the table where Nero had settled down. She poured tea into two cups and slid one to him. She purposefully pushed the package toward Nero.

"How are you holding up?" Nero asked, blowing at the hot surface of liquid. His trip to Black Whiskey had satiated his stomach, but the mint aroma of the tea did have its charm. It had to cool down and he set it on its saucer.

Depression clouded her delicate features, but she smiled, trying to appear less frightened than Nero felt for her. Heck, if she couldn't fool him, how was she fooling herself? He leaped up suddenly, catching Kyrie by surprise. He slammed his human fist in the wall next to him. The sharp sting of the silver rings on his fingers dug into his fingers. Damn!

"Can you break the wall elsewhere? If the wall comes down in here, I'll be inside," Kyrie teased despite her haggard state.

His outbursts were going to certainly spell certain doom if he kept nailing the walls with his fist. For one, a hefty bill. "Sorry."

"I am!" Kyrie burst out. She quieted when Nero stared at her. "Sorry. For insulting you before. I didn't mean it."

"It's ok." Nero shrugged. Verbal abuse was the last thing he wanted to concern himself over. He'd taken it from others.

"No it's not. It's really not. Get mad at me!" Kyrie's small hands wrapped around Nero's throat. Completely unprepared, Nero didn't even have a chance to process what the hell was happening nor suck in air before it was cut off.

Kyrie's eyes glittered frantically. Nero grappled to remove her wringing grip around his neck. He loosened her hands and strong-armed her --the Savior-- one supernatural being to another. Kyrie sprawled to the floor and lay unmoving.

_How can this damn Savior show up at the worst time? _Nero reluctantly withdrew Blue Rose from the confines of his inner coat.

"Don't bother," Kyrie mumbled in a low tone as she raised herself to a sitting position, her hair draping over her face.

"What, you chickening out?" His goading lined with a shaky smirk. The body was still hers. The movements were not.

With a sharp cry, Kyrie leaped up and jumped at him. Nero instinctively whipped up the barrel of Blue Rose and lined it perfectly center at her forehead. Nero glared into her penetrating eyes, anticipating its glowing and detached stare to bore in his own. His index finger slid to the trigger.

_Her eyes did not reflect gold._

Nero gasped at the revelation and rocked backward. He instantly stood down. "It's you, Kyrie?""

There was wordlessness.

"You made me-" He was hurt, being forced to consider shooting her. Why did she do this?

"I wanted to know if you could do it if the time comes." Kyrie read him.

"Damn, you're..." Nero didn't think finishing that insult aloud was wise.

The silence stretched awkwardly as neither person so much looked at the other. It took a minute for Nero to realize Kyrie had risen when his hand slipped into hers. She looked at Nero gravelly. It put him instantly on edge.

"Tell me how will the dagger cure me."

Nero didn't answer right away. When he did, he explained slowly, both the procedure and the date, putting much emphasis that the plan would work. After all, there was an equal chance of either outcome. He didn't mention the bar event. He had to figure out what that was all about before freaking Kyrie out with more details.

Kyrie let his words sink in. So slowly that Nero didn't notice at first, she began to nod. "Okay. Okay, that's great."

Nero's forehead wrinkled in confusion. Did he not drop a bombshell? Kyrie acted like he had told her that fresh cookies were being given out in Fortutoys.

She sounded positive. "Yes. It'll be over soon and that will be that."

"You sound like you're about to get a needle at the doc's." Nero abhorred shots. During his demon arm implant, he had more shots than he ever cared to have in his lifetime.

Kyrie released his hand and went for her teacup. So did Nero, who found his cup suitably cooler and breathed in the aromatic joy. He put it back down when he figured he wasn't drinking it. Kyrie said, "You told me both outcomes have an equal chance of success. I want to believe I'll be fine."

Have it be Kyrie who acted more positive than he upon hearing the news. Her optimism was incredible. Nero wanted to follow, too. "Yeah. How else can I get someone to fetch me a drink when I'm working?" he joked.

"I'm your maid, now?" Kyrie raised her gaze to the ceiling, as if it could understand how silly Nero could be.

Nero circled around Kyrie slowly, sweeping his gaze around the perimeter of the room. "Well, if I find ya an outfit I am in total agreement." He tossed a tempting look at her over his shoulder. "You like frills?" Kyrie reddened at his suggestion.

But, oh, she fought back. "I'll be washing your clothes. Have any special unmentionables? Washing may get dicey. You may lose a few articles."

"You're not a very good maid."

"I haven't started work yet. Don't judge me yet."

"If you impress me now, I may rescind my comment. Polish Red Queen? Do a wonderful job and I'll give you somethin' real good." Nero pierced her with a flirty stare in hopes to cause blush number two.

With a bit of pink in her cheeks, Kyrie peered through her lashes at him. "And that would be?"

Nero held up his hand. "Hey, that's for you to find out."

Right then, she snapped her attention so squarely on Nero that he raised a brow.

"Stay with me. Tonight." Kyrie tilted her head. "We'll talk and eat snacks until dawn."

He flushed, but for an entirely different reason than shyness. He didn't want to admit their earlier incident with his blood had alarmed him enough for him to _consider_ Kyrie as potentially dangerous. Not to mention receiving a lovely stab of Yamato through his arm.

He didn't connect her gaze. "I- I really shouldn't. You need rest." Nero turned to leave. A tug on his sleeve stayed him.

The woman's hold on his sleeve didn't relinquish. Nero watched her, truly took in the sight of her lively eyes. Behind the playful gamine, there was a hint of pleading. Desperation, though restrained, nipped him deep. Remorse flashed for thinking of her as a hazard. This was Kyrie, not the Savior. Kyrie wasn't going to brandish a butter knife at his heart or smother him to death with a pillow. Kyrie wasn't like that. The Savior was a small part of her; she was not a part of _it_.

_And if that thing inside her does react again, well, I can deal, _a small voice within Nero spoke.

Nero dropped on the couch in acceptance, his long bangs obscuring his eyes. There wasn't anything he could think of to say to console her which didn't sound as lame out loud than inside his head. If he couldn't say something, what other use did she have for him to be here? What was the point? Did she really want him here?

Kyrie joined him. From the tabletop, she picked up a cookie. "Nero?"

"Yeah? What is-- umph!" A cookie was unceremoniously shoved into Nero's mouth and Kyrie giggled. With this crumbly baked delight clamped between his teeth and hearing her laugh, really laugh, Nero felt his shoulders shake. He poured himself forth as he grabbed her shoulders, eliciting a sharp squeal from her.

"Beware the cookie monsteeeer! Supreme evil-doer and crumb spreader!" The snack wiggled around in Nero's mouth as he declared himself the ultimate evil. He jostled her upper body around like a bumpy theme park ride.

"Not tonight and not on this couch!" Kyrie made an attempt to snatch the cookie from between his lips but Nero rushed forward, pinning her down. His fake maniacal guffaw allowed him to spread his doomsday crumbs all over the front of her dress. "Give me that thing, you sloth!"

The insult bounced harmlessly off Nero when he leaned his face close to hers. "Mummph. C'mon geph thiph, mmm." He began to chew.

"Indeed I will!" Kyrie touched the sides of his face to bring him even closer for her to bite into the exposed end of the treat. Nero made an unintelligible noise, a protest of some kind, tapping her forehead to remind her of her cookie binging, but Kyrie laughed too hard to pay attention. He kept munching, the sweet scent of chocolate on his breath. Kyrie took another bite from her end.

Nero raised a coy brow. "Am I getting a partner? Will we ruin this couch together?"

"No! You're already ruining my dress."

With the snack devoured, Nero smacked his lips, his half-lidded gaze roaming down to the flour specks spread across the bare skin below her throat. "Let me fix my mess."

------------------------------------------------------------------------

The morning brought sun. It shone through the window and across Nero's shut eyelids and he awoke. Muzzily, his lying figure rolled over away from the light. _Five more minutes_, his sluggish body whined. When his eyelids refused to open, he kept them blissfully closed and amended his complaint.

_More like half an hour. _

He lazily reached out to playfully tug on Kyrie's hair to wake her but his hand groped air. Slightly dazed from the light, he pried open his eyes to see. Kyrie wasn't here. Nero squinted at a wall and didn't remember it being so close to his face yesterday. The couch didn't have any lumps in it, which made him understand he was lying on her smooth bed.

_Bed?_ Nero gulped at the word. He lifted his arm and dared to focus on it. His shirt sleeve was there. His other hand dropped to his thigh. Pants on, too.

Nero sighed in relief. Ok, clothes were still on him. His vision roamed around. How did he end up in here in her bedroom? Where did Kyrie go?

Right, there was more to her place than only her room. "Kyrie? Are you making breakfast?" Nero called out in a half laugh, knowing she wouldn't. When Nero had stayed with her and Credo in their old home, she used to boot him to the kitchen if he wanted breakfast. Still, eggs frying on a pan and syrupy pancakes and toast; her making a plate of that stuff for him was a nice daydream.

No answer from her. Maybe she was using the bathroom.

Something pointy dug in Nero's side near his ribcage and he reached under his back to yank it out. The gold necklace Nero had given Kyrie lay beside him in her absence, with the clasp open.

What a weak attachment. Kyrie had told him it came undone last week. Nero dangled the accessory in the air, watching the golden glint from the sunlight. Forget a new clasp; this baby needed the ends of its chains fused together. Nero squinted at the tiny clamp, ready to start. It would take a few seconds.

Maybe Kyrie should be around before he started welding. And maybe he should tell her.

Nero rubbed his face and hazily sat up. His brain took a moment to sputter its cognitive cogs. The wooziness he felt had not gotten better as last night crept on. He remembered chattering endlessly. About what, he couldn't pin. Stories of his work days. Jokes, stupid ones, spouted out from his mouth. The jests alternated between him and Kyrie.

Eventually, fatigue had thrown chains around him and Nero remembered wanting to sleep. Of being led to her room. Of his coat slipping off his body. Of lying down. Kyrie next to him on her side, staring down at his face for so, so long. His eyelids had fluttered and he couldn't find energy to keep his vigilance that she would act up again. It was all right to fall into unconsciousness...

Awake more or less, Nero stretched his arms over his head and yawned. He swung his unbooted feet over the edge of the bed and looked curiously at them. He didn't recall taking off his footwear before falling asleep yesterday. He spotted his boots to the side of the bed, neatly placed together. He smirked at the sight. Kyrie did have an issue with tripping over his belongings. The day before her toe caught the edge of the heavy case on the ground which stored Red Queen. Nero assumed she saw the case but apparently not. She almost went sailing into a stack of crates, but a speedy grab of her arm fixed that problem. What a save! He smiled at the memory.

His coat was neatly draped over a chair. Nero pulled it onto his lap and stuffed Kyrie's necklace into a pocket. He'd return it later. He patted his other pockets out of habit. Demon hunting always meant misplaced items. His hands ran across an unexpectedly flat area that wasn't supposed to be empty. He stilled.

The dagger was missing.

Nero's widening eyes darted around in search while his mind uselessly attempted not to forge ahead to the forgone conclusion.

_It must have fallen out again. _

_It's around here._

_The floor, it's gotta be on the floor._

_ There must be a hole in my pocket. _

_ Dante is playing a majorly dumb trick on me and hid it. _

The reasons kept coming, but none were convincing Nero. Checking yielded no results, either.

Nero's panic rose sharply.

She did not have it.

She couldn't. She wouldn't use it.

...would she?


	11. Here and Now

**Author's note: Quite a visceral chapter for me to write.**

* * *

Chapter 11

Kyrie didn't just trick him to stay to get the dagger, did she? Nero didn't like his train of thought, but his emotional coal was burning. Nero gripped her necklace that was in his palm and flew out of her domain to outside. He ignored the slight throb in his temples. The business district seemed garish through Nero's tunnel-vision view. He saw Dante on the sidewalk, his silver tongue working overtime as he buttered up a woman wearing tall heels. Nero rushed over to him, ignoring Dante's unwelcome glare at the interruption.

"We need to talk. Now." Nero said this breathlessly.

Dante told her he'd return and he moved to the side with Nero. "Morning. Or should I say good afternoon? Where were you last night? Your sheets were cold all night. Well, part of the night. You've got a comfy bed."

He was smirking like his typical arrogant self, but Nero didn't care about Dante getting his grungy clothes on his mattress. "Have you seen her?"

"Who?"

"Kyrie, dumbass."

"In the mood for a nookie?" Dante picked the worst moment to push Nero's patience.

Nero seized Dante's collar before he realized what he did. He let go at Dante's frown. "She's gone. She has _it._"

Dread widened blue eyes. "Damn. You want help searching?"

Dante didn't know Fortuna's layout as well as Nero, but two bodies were better than one. "That'd be good."

"Wait, I got you something." Dante retrieved a small bottle from his coat and gave it to Nero. Palming the bottle, Nero glanced and it with the dubious expectation of another lame Dante joke of the sex kind. It wasn't; he recognized it as the same item he intended to pick up for Kyrie. It seemed Dante was on equal wavelengths as him.

Dante squeezed his shoulder encouragingly. "Nero... good luck."

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nero searched, eventually finding himself high up on the terrace. The view below never ceased to amaze him. A bird's-eye view of Fortuna's square was impressive. The milling people looked quite small from so high up. At the end of the long balcony, Kyrie was there.

Nero exhaled in sheer relief. Shadows from the wall she stood beside obscured her figure. Being up here took a substantial amount of stair-climbing, so it was obvious she wanted to be alone. Kyrie was observing the area.

When Nero stopped at her side, she didn't acknowledge his presence. Her vision stared off in the distance at nothing in particular. The gilded blade in her hands clutched against her chest like a rosary. Her blank stare was that of one of those antique dolls he'd see in shop windows. Void of emotion.

He spoke her name clearly and held out his hand for her to give him the dagger. Nero was nervous that it would pull a stunt like at the bar.

She consented and listlessly offered it to him, her eyes still fastened to the people below the terrace.

Nero stored away the dagger. He gently took her elbow, wanting Kyrie to look at him. He retrieved her necklace from his coat and placed it in her hand, hoping for some reaction besides the void in her expression. "I got something for you. Remember this?"

The jewelry remained stiff in her hand. She didn't raise her eyes to his face. "I hate you, Nero." Her despondent statement held no conviction.

The words were not absolute truth. They stemmed from frustration at her plight. Nero let them slide. "I know," he responded with slight shakiness, trying to pass it off as a joke. "Do you want I jump off the deck of Port Caerula now or later?" When Kyrie didn't reply, Nero scrambled to add, "'cause I'd survive that jump. Probably."

Tears streaked down her face. "I... I won't be alive, will I?" Her resolve was crumbling fast. She kept staring off in the distance.

Nero felt his chest catch. He wanted her to look at him. "No, don't say that. You will. After everything we've been through, you will." He had to say it like he believed it. He had to say it so he would.

Wrath vented from Kyrie as she finally glared at him. "You should've killed me already! Done it as soon as you took the dagger from me in the cave-"

"Shut up! Stop saying it!" Agony and confusion racked his body. He was going to succeed? Could he fail?

"I don't want to be depressed, but it's so hard. I don't- I don't want to die!" Kyrie flung her arms around him tightly, as if anchoring herself. Her nails dug sharply in his back and she buried her face in his shoulder. Her breath hitched but she refused to make sound. She still resisted to let tears flow.

The pain in his back felt like pinches compared to the ache inside. Nero closed his eyes, allowing her sadness to fill him up as she cried.

The fear, the hope, and a billion other emotions rushed in as Nero pulled away to stare at her. Sorrow overtook him, immolating away his insides. He didn't wish to lose her. She didn't want to lose him. Nero had to keep her alive. She had to stay here. How could he tell her? He wanted, no, he hungered for-

Nero yanked her against him. His frenzied tongue probed the inside of her mouth before she could respond, his lips snatching away voice. The forgotten necklace slid from Kyrie's fingers to the ground.

His strong arms traveled down hers and locked around her warm body. His Devil Bringer gripped the back of her head, pushing her closer to him. His other arm snaked around her waist to pull her rigidly against his chest. His fingers tightened as they clutched her sides, fisted her hair. Nero's frantic breaths were lost on him while he drank in her kiss. Kyrie being here, having form, was the most important thing to him.

Nero felt her confusion at the start. While he tightened his hold on her, instead of feeling comforted like he expected, he felt her perplexity rise from her attempted body shift. Nero didn't care; he was going to make her stay. His eagerness at this notion pressured his arms even tighter around Kyrie's body. He felt his need for her in the hardness of his lips, the digging of his nails into her skin.

She whimpered in fear, not pleasure. "Nero, it hurts."

If she only knew. If only he knew what torture she put him through. Enticed by her whine, Nero gripped her more fiercely, his arms tingling from such an unyielding embrace. He felt her softness against the stiffness of his vest, his pants.

Kyrie tried to push against his chest. "Nero, Nero, please stop. You're too strong!" Desperate urgency pitched her voice.

Ashamedness flooded Nero when he heard her words. He dropped everything in an instant. His arms flew off her and his face jerked back. He couldn't tell if his face looked as horrified as he suddenly felt. Giving in to animal instincts blindly was liberating but hearing Kyrie _afraid_ of him was a torrential geyser of cold water on him. His head rush pounded him hard. He turned his back on her.

Nero heard Kyrie breathe out in relief. Relief that he had stopped making contact with her, further pervaded his shame. He wasn't thinking at all. Kyrie touched his Devil Bringer, but Nero quickly pulled it away. She wasn't going to touch him.

She made contact with him again. "Nero." When he didn't respond, she added, "I know this is difficult." Still he remained silent. He heard her inhale.

"I want you to use the dagger on me." Her tone was sedated. A horrible finality traced it.

He only stared down at the tips of his boots. He told Dante that he'd do it, that he would pierce her chest with the dagger, but to hear Kyrie make this request was very surreal.

"If it's you, then... I'll be okay." Kyrie's voice remained stable despite his laconic state. When he continued to stay silent, Kyrie asked quietly in almost an entreaty, "Can you answer me?"

A hysterical screaming invaded his insides. It pushed against his lungs, his membranes and skin, straining desperately for escape, but Nero couldn't work his vocal cords. He truly had to do this insane deed. It could work, it might not. Everything was so stupid! Why did they have to go through this? When his voice wouldn't come, Nero looked at her as his alternative. Tears were streaming down her cheeks again, but her resilient gaze awaited his response.

"I'll make sure you'll get through it. You _will_." Nero's voice was velvet-covered iron.

His assurance sounded so authentic that Kyrie believed him. So did he. He believed with his entire being. She had to be all right. They desired it so much. They gazed at each other almost desperately, their bodies rigid. The tension released and both of them sprung into a tight hug.

Nero felt her solid form beneath his arms. He wanted this, for Kyrie to remain, and so did she. But it wasn't going to happen until she was normal again. He swallowed down a sharp sensation lodged in his throat. "I'll do it." His barely whispered answer came out so quietly that even his acute demon hearing could hardly detect it.

But Kyrie's head was right next to his mouth and she heard him. "Thank you."

"Hey," he said softly, suddenly wanting something, anything to look forward to. "When you're better we'll throw a party. Eat like mad. Pizza? Dante won't get any."

"Again?" She pretended to complain, her answer muffled against his shoulder.

"Yes. But you get first dibs." He was silently begging himself not to lose himself to anxiety.

She buried her face harder in the crook of his neck. "Such a gentleman."

Nero held her longer. He forced himself to detach his mind, his soul from what he had to do. It was the only way he could find the courage to fulfill his duty. It was the hardest thing to utter when he gently said, "We should start the ritual."

"Now?" Rising nervousness heightened her question.

When Nero heard her fear, he was seized with a rush to never let go and an overwhelming hatred for the Savior. With as much strength as he could call on, he held Kyrie at arm's length. She was attempting to smile. His encouraging smile felt wobbly. He bent to pick up the necklace from the ground and fastened it around her neck. "Hey, there's the pizza, remember?"

Kyrie tearfully giggled and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "All right. Pizza. Then champagne. I don't care if they don't match."

Nero traced her chin with his thumb. "High class. I like it. Keep thinking of more plans 'cause you're going to be back soon."

More confidently, Kyrie nodded. "I will. Thank you for doing this."

Nero removed the slender dagger from his coat. He felt a deep sting of remorse, overriding all this other emotions. Suddenly, the dagger shaped into a fire-breathing dragon the length of his Devil Bringer arm. They jumped in surprise. Nero held his breath, then let it out slowly. He couldn't feel like this. _Calm, stay calm._

The miniature dragon huffed, a bit of fire leaking out of its open mouth. Nero's heart stopped thudding like a conga and slowed. The dragon melded back into the sharp dagger.

"W-what was that?" Kyrie asked, fear jumping on her again like a spiteful monkey.

The weapon took on different forms depending on the dominant emotional state of the user. Extreme changes transformed the weapon, it seemed. Nero finally understood what the homunculus meant by the dagger needing to remain in its form. Nero cleared his throat nervously. "Uh, a parlor trick."

"You and your jokes. Can you make a bunny out of it?"

"Sorry, killer bunnies are scarier than a dragon," Nero replied shakily while reaching into his coat. "I... got you this." Nero retrieved the tiny vial Dante had given him from his pocket and held it out. "It's a pain suppressant. Numbs you before..." He didn't need to finish the sentence.

"And I thought it was a better alternative to using the dagger." Kyrie stared at the liquid before she tipped the contents of the vial in her mouth. They waited a minute before she nodded at him.

Nero stepped up to Kyrie. "I'll see you real soon." Kyrie closed her eyes as he kissed her fleetingly. It had to be brief or he'd never continue.

He was relieved she wasn't looking at him as he leveled the tip of the dagger at her heart. His hand tremored. He breathed in and out slowly for a solid minute. He had to remain unruffled.

Swiftly, with blank mind and heart, he drove the tapered blade in her chest. Kyrie gasped silently, but her eyelids remained closed. A copious surge of warm blood spilled onto her shirt and covered his arms. It dyed Nero's sleeves and coat front as well. Nero couldn't believe its flow. His mind forced the rest of him to not react. He had to pull the blade out at the right time.

A bright light like a sunburst emanated from the knife. The jewels on the hilt shone brilliantly in resonance. The shine diminished and the blood covering Kyrie's clothes reversed its direction toward the dagger as though it were a magnet. Even her blood on Nero's arms was attracted by the blade. Not one drop of blood stained anything.

Nero quickly slid the blade out of her chest. The deep cut stitched up by itself and closed. Nero felt like he was viewing some old movie in rewind because Kyrie looked exactly like she did before. Kyrie's legs gave out and he caught her prone form with his free arm. He slowly lowered her to the floor.

"Kyrie?" Nero could hardly hear his plea, barely made out the sliver of hope in her name. His spirits soared when a touch of a curve passed her lips, but her eyes remained closed. He waited for her to rouse.

Kyrie's head lolled to the side and grew still.


	12. Reality

Chapter 12

The first thing Nero thought while staring at Kyrie's lifeless body was how utterly stupid and idiotic she was. She left. She was going to miss watching him rebuild Fortuna. She wasn't going to be around to hear Nero complain when someone bothered him. Meaningless, trivial things like how much his quadriceps hurt or how humid the day was. Nero clutched her tighter and fell to his knees. He howled, long and agonizing. Kyrie's passing was real, not some nightmare his subconscious conjured up. He remained here while she was... where?

"Kyrie?" Nero's shaky voice sounded lost and bereft, even to his own ears. Tears were washing out her image and Nero forced them away with a swipe of his hand. He couldn't bear not to see her. He tentatively shook her shoulders, as if she'd break if he pushed further like in his nightmare in the cave.

She remained unmoving. Nero stilled like a granite statue, glaring at Kyrie. With mechanical precision, he carefully lay her on the ground. He hollowly backed up in his crouching form, unable to draw his gaze away. The dagger still in his hand, he felt its heaviness.

His eyes did close when his fury unshackled. He struck the ground with the blade, sparks flying as metal scraped stone. Excruciating screams ripped from his throat. Nero struck again and again, willing the damn thing to shatter, to rid of it from his sight. It didn't, though, and Nero threw it to the side, his chest heaving. He resorted to his Devil Bringer and smashed it down. Sharp pain radiated up his arm with each pummel. The stone splintered under the force of his blows. Kyrie's admonishment yesterday about bringing down the walls waved through his memory and he screamed again. She couldn't joke with him anymore.

"Nero."

It wasn't the voice Nero wanted to hear, especially coming from behind him. "What do you want?" He clenched his jaw tightly.

Dante's query was soft. "What happened?"

"Nothing! Absolutely fucking nothing!" Nero shouted and leapt to his feet. He spun around to glare at Dante. Sympathy streaked Dante's face which infuriated Nero. Who was he to feel pity for him? Nero's anger propelled him to swing a fist at Dante's serious face, the expression Nero rarely saw from him. Shock coursed through Nero when his balled fist connected painfully with Dante's cheek.

The loud crack unbalanced him, but he didn't retaliate. Dante guided his gloved hand to nurse the blow but he remained silent. He could have easily dodged it, Nero understood. The fact upped Nero's hostility.

When Dante spoke, he still wasn't grinning like a fool, like he always did. His eyes were just so grave. "Feel better?"

Nero hung his head. He knew knocking Dante out wouldn't. He knew causing pain to himself wouldn't.

A light vibrating noise lifted it. The discarded dagger was shifting and rattling slightly, like a tremulous silver spoon on a teacup saucer carried by a waiter. A familiar melody danced in the air. Nero recognized the notes as the ones the weapon crooned when Kyrie had taken it in her possession. The song stopped, then after a lengthy silence, it began again, the notes higher. Maybe it was Nero's grief driving him mad, but the speed and frequency sounded insistent.

Kyrie uttered a murmur, short, but unmistakably it was sound coming from her. Nero scrambled over before he knew it, hope widening his bleary eyes. Impulsively, Nero rocked her shoulders roughly. A tiny grunt escaped Kyrie's lips as she struggled to open her eyes. She seemed to lack the ability. Her body thrashed as if she were suffocating underwater. Her hoarse voice echoed the first few notes of the melody and stopped when she couldn't find the strength to continue.

"Sing for me," Nero found himself whispering. At the notion he might be being played with by some cruel supernatural entity, he burst angrily, "Finish it!"

Wobbly notes emerged from Kyrie's throat as she struggled again. She faltered and strained for air to complete the entire song. She began again.

When she reached the last note, the dagger ceased movement. Black smoke plumed from it, dissolving it. The inky cloud blew away. The dagger was gone.

Nero stared wide-eyed at the movement in front of him. Shock. He was in it. Or in a dream. He was asleep, that must be it. This is a nightmare of a beautiful illusion. She wasn't real.

Kyrie's eyes fluttered, then slid open. She sat up with renewed energy. She looked around as if seeing everything for the first time.

Nero jerked back, cautious. The mirage of Kyrie turned her face towards him. She watched him blankly. Nero's stomach dipped.

Kyrie smiled in relief and gratitude. Her real arms clamped around his neck. She wasn't turning to stone. She was flesh, warmth and breath. Her heartbeat was not a lie.

Then she spoke and Nero knew she was here.

"I always knew you were the impatient one. All you had to do was wait." Kyrie laughed once again.

Nero held on tightly.

-- THE END --

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**Author's note: That's it folks! It's over! I had quite a ride writing this story. Do drop a review and let me know what you think of the story if you're reading this far down in the chapter. ^_^**


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